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More on KentOnline
Two Sheppey councils have joined forces to form a pressure group to oppose the proposed closure of Blackburn Lodge Care Home.
Kent County Council (KCC), which runs and maintains the facility in Broadway, Sheerness, announced it was beginning a consultation on the future of the home which specialises in caring for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Sheerness Town Council and Minster-on-Sea Parish Council joined forces with KCC member for Sheppey, Cllr Ken Pugh (Con), to tell KCC it would “fight tooth and nail” to oppose any plans to close it.
Cllr Ken Pugh, who is also a Minster parish councillor, said: “I’m hoping we’ll be able to keep this place open.
“It would be a desperately sad situation to close it. What are we going to do with the staff and the service users? Hopefully Sheerness Town Council, myself and Minster Parish Council coming together will make KCC look again at this consultation.”
While Cllr Pugh is calling for the home to remain open until alternative provision is found, both councils want Blackburn Lodge to stay, along with extra dementia services on the Island.
Sheerness Town Council chairman, Cllr Matthew Brown, said other homes had closed in Sheerness, including one in Alma Road.
He added: “People need to take part in the consultation because it’s going to affect all of us in the future, through family members or friends, it’s going to touch all of our lives.
“Speaking to members of Minster we realised they were as concerned as we are so we went to a meeting they held and agreed to join forces.
“We need to talk to people on the front line and look at this from a care perspective rather than a financial one.”
Cllr Ken Ingleton, chairman of Minster Parish Council, said: “The best outcome is to leave the building here and make the necessary improvements.”
KCC launched its consultation on the future of Blackburn Lodge last month.
People are being asked for their views on the proposals until Tuesday, March 31.
A final decision is set to be made in June after a report is sent to the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee in May.
Sheerness Town Council and Minster Parish Council released a joint statement with Cllr Ken Pugh on Friday.
It said: “We find it unacceptable that we are being consulted by KCC on options that are bound by a restrictive covenant.
“May we remind you the land the KCC-owned home sits on is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the covenant states the site should be used for health and social care purposes only.
“We realise KCC approached the MoD to have the covenant lifted in the past.”
"We find it unacceptable that we are being consulted by KCC on options that are bound by a restrictive covenant."
It went on to criticise the reasons for the consultation being launched.
“We disagree with the suggestion Blackburn Lodge is not fit for purpose,” it added.
“The lack of en-suites excuse is weak. Anyone caring for someone living with dementia knows this can be a hindrance.
“While we agree the multi-functional building does need improving, we feel this can be done at reasonable cost to bring it up to an adequate standard without any disruption to the current residents.”
The home, in Broadway, Sheerness, also offers day care and assessment facilities as well as somewhere for people to receive respite care.
KCC is proposing to move to a model where people can be cared for in their own homes.
To view the consultation, visit www.kent.gov.uk/blackburnlodgeconsultation or collect a form from the home, Sheppey Library in Sheerness or Minster Library in Worcester Close.
