TWO former care homes which were expected to provide new accommodation for the elderly are set to be sold for a total of £1million by the county council.

Wheatley Court, Fence and Fell View, Barnacre Road, Longridge will go under the hammer at an auction organised by Pugh and Co at Manchester Airport on Wednesday, September, 6.

The homes were set to be developed into Extra Care' homes - a partnership arrangement between the council and a housing organisation to create small self contained apartments for the elderly.

Today an opposition councillor accused the council of failing to deliver on its promises.

Chiefs said Fell View, which closed in November 2004 as part of the council's county-wide care home closure programme, was being sold because in July Ribble Valley Council had turned down planning permission for a new home, to be run by Leyland-based Progress housing group.

Permission was refused on the grounds that it was not in accordance with planning policies on affordable housing.

County council bosses ruled out appealing the decision as it could have taken 12 months and the outcome would not have been guaranteed.

It carries a guide price of between £650,000 and £750,000. It has 36 bedrooms, seven lounges, four kitchens, seven bathrooms, and ten toilets.

Wheatley Court, closed in the summer of 2004, and has a guide of between £225,000 and £275,000.

Council bosses said the home was being sold as Accent North West Housing, which was co-operating with the council, had been unsuccessful in a bid to the Housing Corporation for funding.

In March 2005 Clive Thomasson, housing strategy and partnerships officer for the county council, said: "We know that an extra care scheme is needed in the Barrowford and Western Parishes area, and are excited about the proposals at Fence.

"Extra care is a partnership scheme between a sheltered housing provider and a care agency, providing high levels of flexible care funded through Social Services."

Each scheme would have provided dozens of apartments for pensioners.

County Councillor David Whipp, leader of the LibDems, said there was still a tremendous amount of resentment about care home closures.

"Across the county the issue still ignites furious debate. The failure of the county council undermines the last vestiges of credibility that was left."

A county council spokesman added: "It is possible that the sites will be bought up by care providers, as has happened with other sites."