Anger as Highland Council prepares to ditch care home plans

PLANS for five new council care homes – including one in Inverness – look likely to be shelved in a move that has outraged campaigners and will test the local authority’s ruling coalition.

It emerged yesterday that Highland Council officials have concluded there is no business case to justify pushing ahead with the new buildings – one of which is supposed to replace the city’s now demolished Burnside care home.

The revelation confirms the worst fears of campaigners and politicians who expressed concern months ago that the Independent/Lib-Dem/Labour coalition was moving towards scrapping the programme altogether.

Dr Ian McNamara, chairman of the Highland Senior Citizens Network, accused officials of creating the business case to fit the administration’s objectives.

“I think it is not unexpected,” he said. “From correspondence obtained from within the administration as early as December last year it was evident the council was looking for a way of framing the decision for local members so the right answer was achieved for business reasons rather than political reasons.”

He previously said the economic recession was being used as a “trojan horse” by councillors who were never in favour of running new care homes.

Councillor John Finnie, leader of the opposition SNP group and parliamentary candidate for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, agreed.

“We were first told of this review in December, only a few weeks after receiving an assurance that the care home programme was proceeding on schedule,” he said.

“My fears that the outcome was predetermined were confirmed when I received copies of correspondence which show an officer suggests that the best approach was ‘framing the decision for members such that the right answer is achieved’.”

Full details of the business case will be made public next week ahead of a full council meeting on 13th May but no decisions will be taken until 24th June.

The study will also include alternative options but senior councillors refused to be drawn on what they might be yesterday.

Lib-Dem Councillor Michael Foxley, leader of the coalition, said: “Whatever happens we will ensure that high-quality residential and nursing care is available to all those who require it – and that we provide the services which enable people to remain safe and secure in their own homes for as long as possible.

“In December 2009 Highland Council asked for a study, by officers, of the business case for building five new care homes. That report will be made available to all members of the council and to the public.

“The chief executive has, however, indicated that it will conclude that there is no business case for the building of the five care homes.”

He added that councillors would listen to those affected before making a final decision.

“That is the right and proper way to deal with a decision of this importance.”

The administration was briefed in confidence on Wednesday about the issue and further group discussions were ongoing yesterday afternoon.

It is understood many councillors are unhappy with the outcome of the review and it has been suggested previously that some may be willing to walk away from the ruling coalition if the care home plan is ditched.

Senior Liberal Democrat politician Danny Alexander, who is defending the Inverness parliamentary seat at next week’s General Election, expressed disappointment at yesterday’s news and urged his party colleagues to argue in favour of pressing ahead with the new homes.

“I hope very much that elected councillors will want to continue with a care home building programme when they meet in June,” he said.

“As I set out in my letter to the council in February, I believe there is a very strong case for the council to continue – on both economic and social grounds.”

At the meeting in June councillors will also be forced to make decisions on whether to cut spending on schools, roads and other vital services.

Over the next three years the authority is faced with making cuts of £36 million and at present the public is being consulted on a range of proposals including the possibility of closing community centres and privatising care homes.

Tomorrow hundreds of pensioners and trade unionists will march through the streets of Inverness in protest at frontline cuts.

Ken Macmillan, secretary of the Inverness Trades Union Council which is organising the parade, is urging people to turn out in force. Without a public show of support he warned key areas such as education and social work would be hit hard.

In a separate move, Inverness councillor Peter Corbett yesterday called on the administration to scrap its proposals to close up to four of the city’s community centres to save £133,000.