An old people’s home could be privatised in a shake-up of county council services.

Kent County Council (KCC) has announced plans to shut three of its residential care homes and sell off others to private companies, including Doubleday Lodge in Glebe Lane, Sittingbourne.

It wants to effectively sell off the homes and negotiate an agreement where it can retain rights to places.

The plans, announced on Tuesday, will mean at least 100 residents from around the county will have to be found new homes.

Social services chiefs say no final decision is likely to be made until December at the earliest and has promised wide-ranging consultation with residents, their families and staff.

The re-organisation will affect more than 400 staff working in the homes and some jobs will have to go.

KCC, which expects to save £2m a year as a result, insists the proposals will in time deliver better care for elderly people needing round-the-clock care.

Chalkwell ward councillor, Roger Truelove, said there are obvious reservations with a move to the private sector.

He said: “I would be extremely concerned to know how the people are going to be treated.

“I think if the motivation is to move people out of dated homes and into something better that would be very encouraging but if it’s just to cut spending and to encourage the private sector then I would be very concerned.

“It’s not necessarily a terrible things but there are obvious concerns.

“There needs to be provision in the public sector for care homes because private sector care is too expensive for many people.”

KCC has acknowledged the plans will cause anxiety and may trigger strong opposition but says private companies are better placed to invest in homes, many of which need significant redevelopment to update their facilities.

Cllr Graham Gibbens (Con), KCC cabinet member for adult care, said KCC wanted the best for elderly people but that it lacked the money needed to bring the care homes up to scratch.

KCC would ensure that any deals it struck with private care home companies would commit them to keeping places available for its clients.

“These changes are all about providing real dignity, real quality care and a real quality environment into the future. It would not be possible to do that without doing what we are doing,” he said.

Many of KCC’s homes were in need of improvements such as adding ensuite bathrooms for all residents, that were potentially costly and could not be afforded, he added.

“Doing masses of new work is not an option and if we were to do it, it would not add capacity to the homes.”

• Doubleday Lodge, which opened in 1974, has nine permanent residents and 43 staff.