Councillor clarifies position on care home after petition

This comes as last week Gloucestershire County Council cabinet backed plans to close The Elms care home in Stonehouse. 

The Elms Care home in Stonehouse

Conservative Councillor for Stroud District Council and Gloucestershire County Council (Stonehouse) Nick Housden handed in a petition to Gloucestershire County Council to save the care home. 

Yet in the crunch vote last week he voted for The Elms to shut. 

Here he clarifies his position amid the confusion and explains why he now supports the closure. 

"I didn’t change my mind," said Mr Housden.

"It's true that I handed in a petition from residents to prevent the closure but I voted for it last week on the basis that there was a recommendation to rebuild a brand new facility there.

"The existing home was not suitable to meet the care needs of residents in the future, so the council has recommended to rebuild a purpose built facility there.

"This facility will provide care, employment and investment in the area.

"That is why I voted for the closure. 

"The Elms was built at a time when expectations and needs of care differed greatly from today.

"Residents are now entering care later and are likely to have a greater complexity of needs.

"Following the impact of the pandemic it is clear that new facilities are needed to meet the changes in need of the projected demographic across Gloucestershire.

"Facilities with adaptations like en-suite bathrooms, wider corridors, bigger rooms for equipment etc.

"At last week's Cabinet meeting we unanimously backed the decision to close the Elms, with a view to redeveloping the site / building a purpose-built facility to better meet the needs of residents in the future.

"Though the closure of an existing care home is always challenging, residents will be well supported.

"The new facility on this site presents huge opportunities for Stonehouse."