The future of a day centre in Lancaster remains unclear after Lancashire County Council announced it was to take more time to consider the results of a public consultation.
The authority launched a review into five care homes and five day centres in October, including Lancaster’s Vale View, and previously said recommendations would be presented in February 2026.
The consultation into the facilities received 1,600 responses meaning the council has now said they will take until the spring to make their decision.
In October the county council said Vale View is under "detailed scrutiny due to concerns around its condition, future safety, and long-term viability" but "no decisions have been made" about its future.
More than a thousand people also signed a petition launched by Cat Smith, MP for Lancaster & Wyre, to save Vale View from any potential closure.
She’s accused the authority of proceeding with the initial review without carrying out any detailed investigations into the condition or finances of them.
‘’The council's Reform leadership need to rethink, not just hit pause. Reform should be investing in our Adult Social Care services, not cutting them,’’ she said.
‘’Although the delay provides some breathing space from the planned early decision in February, it now means prolonged uncertainty for vulnerable service users, their families, and the incredible staff who have had to fight in the dark against the potential closure without any clear information on why the service was at-risk in the first place.
‘’Without a full condition and financial report to put to the public as part of a statutory consultation, Vale View Day Centre's future should be secured indefinitely.
‘’On the back of my Parliamentary petition, and backed by over 1000 residents, I'm seeking advice and intervention from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on how we can step-in and challenge any plans to close the day centre.’’
Cllr Stephen Atkinson, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “We would like to thank everyone for their feedback to our consultation.
"Stakeholders have shared their voices with us in many ways, through questionnaires, heartfelt letters and thoughtful emails, and each response is a valued part of this journey together.''
"It seems only wise because of the large volume of information we have gathered to take all the necessary time to thoroughly consider all the data provided as part of this process.
"We know that this will prolong the uncertainty surrounding the future of the facilities involved, and for that I am sorry. However, this is a process we do not want to rush - it is simply too important.
"This is clearly an emotive issue, and we understand that people feel extremely strongly about the future of these care homes and day centres.
"Our objective has always been to consider how best we ensure the safety and dignity of our residents and day centre users, both now and in the future.
"As always, we want to make the best decision for the people of Lancashire using all the relevant information at our disposal.”
Lancashire County Council has confirmed that they’ve now commissioned new surveys to evaluate the condition of the existing buildings, alongside modernisation assessments to determine their potential for upgrades to enable the delivery of high-quality care for the long term.
They added that the findings from these reports, including associated cost implications, will be carefully considered in conjunction with the consultation outcomes.
As part of the initial review, ten services "had been identified for potential accelerated reprovision due to being outdated and requiring significant investment to bring to a reasonable standard".
They include five older people's residential care homes - Favordale, Colne; Grove House, Adlington; Milbanke, Kirkham; Thornton House, Thornton Cleveleys; and Woodlands, Clayton-le-Moors - and five Older People’s Day Centres - Byron View, Colne (attached to Favordale); Derby Centre, Ormskirk; Milbanke Day Centre, Kirkham (attached to Milbanke); Teal Close, Thornton Cleveleys (attached to Thornton House); and Vale View.
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