Campaigners in Court of Appeal over Southampton care homes (From Daily Echo)

Campaigners in Court of Appeal over Southampton care homes

11:02am Wednesday 4th November 2009 in

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CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save two council care homes in Southampton from closure will head to the Court of Appeal today.

They want permission to appeal a decision by the High Court to refuse a judicial review of Southampton City Council’s decision to shut the home in order to cut costs.

The say that the Tory-run council had not fully taken into account the health effects of evicting the 29 elderly residents of Whitehaven Lodge in Millbrook and Birch Lawn in Sholing, including 101-year-old Emily Turner.

Campaigning solicitor Yvonne Hossack, who is acting for some of the residents, also wants the Court of Appeal to grant a “stay of execution” to halt the closures.

The council claims that there is falling demand for residential care in the city and it can buy it more cheaply from private firms.

Budget papers reveal that the council intends to save £400,000 a year by closing the homes and axing 31 jobs.

Campaigners from Southampton, Wolverhampton and Hull are to go to Downing Street on Monday to petition the Prime Minister for a change in the law to prevent care home closures where there is a risk that residents’ lives could be cut short.

A battle by one of Britain’s oldest women, 106-year-old Louisa Watts, to stop the closure of her council-run care home has already failed at the Court of Appeal.