Lancashire care homes: Reform councillors say they will not close them

Reform councillors announced that several Lancashire care homes previously slated for closure would instead receive investment after months of public protest; officials have given differing accounts of the consultation status as officers prepare a report for cabinet in spring.

Reform councillors in Lancashire announced this week that a group of council-run care homes previously listed for closure will instead receive investment. The announcement follows months of public protests and local campaigning. A protest in Preston at the weekend drew hundreds of people. The council had published closure plans and a timetable in the autumn before starting a consultation. Key facts: - Councillors said the homes slated for closure would receive investment and would not be closed, a reversal reported after months of public outcry. - The homes named in reports were Favordale (Colne), Grove House (Adlington), Milbanke (Kirkham), Thornton House (Thornton-Cleveleys) and Woodlands (Clayton-le-Moors). - Reform holds 52 of 84 seats on Lancashire county council, the party having won control in May 2025 local elections. - A protest in Preston attracted hundreds of people and families of residents had publicly criticised the planned closures, saying they were astonished and distressed. - Local Labour figures and a Labour MP described the announcement as chaotic and questioned where the new investment would come from; one Labour councillor praised campaigners and called the reported reversal an embarrassing U-turn for Reform. - Officials gave differing accounts of the consultation: Reform said no formal decision had been made and that the consultation would not conclude until March, while a council spokesperson said the consultation had closed and officers were analysing feedback to prepare a full report for cabinet in spring. Summary: The announcement changes the council's earlier published closure plans after sustained local opposition and political attention. Statements from councillors and a council spokesperson differ on whether the consultation is still open, but officers are reported to be analysing feedback and preparing a cabinet report for spring where councillors will review the findings before any formal decisions. Undetermined at this time.