A SMALL victory in the on-going battle to lift the threat of closure from Lancashire's care homes was won this week.

The County Council is due to decide to switch £1 million of funds into essential maintenance work for homes for older people.

Liberal Democrat leader County Coun David Whipp said: "This is what we demanded back in February. Although they've wasted two months, this is still a move in the right direction!

"It is crazy that this high-priority work has been left undone for all this time. The original surveys were carried out last September and before. Labour knew this work had to be done and have deliberately ignored it.

"I am asking for an assurance that this work will be carried out without too much disturbance to residents.

"And I'm demanding that Labour drops its original idea of shunting people all over the place while work goes on.

"Sadly, this does not lift the threat of closure from our care homes, but Labour could and should take the opportunity to abandon its consultation on closure and allow our elderly residents some peace.

"This is not the end of the campaign, but a small victory in the battle to avoid closures. We must keep up the pressure until we get a final result."

County Coun George Slynn (Labour) has also spoken out about the controversial plans this week.

"A standing conference is required with all agencies and a national debate with appropriate guidelines regarding funding, partnership working and action plans.

"The lives of our parents and grandparents are too important to be merely a matter of pounds and pence.

"I suggest that the concept of care in the community from our ageing population is what the county consultation ought to be about, rather than a narrow discussion on county care homes.

"I believe that a wider debate would ensure that all agencies including the government are on board and we ought to be debating if not demanding adequate resources to deal with this issue."