5,000 sign petition in battle to save care homes

Royston Tenants and Residents' Association is leading the fight to save Oakwood care home which also runs a day centre for pensioners.

Oakwood is one of the four Barnsley Council-run homes and a day care centre which have all been earmarked for closure to save money.

More than 2,000 people have signed a petition in Penistone opposing the proposed closure of their local council run home, Green Park House.

The Barnsley Older People's Community Forum is also opposing the closure plans which also cover Greenside House in Staincross, Highfield Grange in Wombwell and Highgate Day Centre in Goldthorpe.

Barbara Grayson, of Royston TARA, says Oakwood is an essential part of the community because there are no other care homes in the area.

She added: "We think it is disgraceful that it will be closed down. The people who live in the home now are very happy and content. Where are they going to go?"

Coun Graham Kyte, who represents the Royston ward and accepted the 5,000 signature petition, said he believed plans to shut the borough's last four council care homes were wrong.

Coun Kyte said: "The current proposals for closing Oakwood are little different from those put forward two years ago.

"The old people of Barnsley, not least the existing resi- dents, deserve better than this.

"There will always be demand for long-term residential care and to say this should be left entirely to the private sector is, in my view, simply misguided."

Barnsley Council and the Primary Care Trust say it is 116 a week cheaper for a pensioner to be kept in a privately-run home than a council home and claim it would cost a further 2 million to bring the four council homes up to required standards.