A consultation over the potential closure of two care homes in Westmoreland & Furness has begun. The local council announced that Applethwaite Green in Windermere and Grisedale Croft Care Home in Alston are under consultation over their future. The Council have raised concerns that the homes are no longer fit for purpose, causing concern for local families who have residents in the two homes. The Council announced the start of the consultation in April 2026.
Applethwaite Green is a 27-bed residential home with 15 permanent residents currently. The Council Cabinet agreed to consult on all options for the building – do nothing, refurbish the building, rebuild or close it.
Grisedale Croft provides residential accommodation with 13 bedrooms and has had declining and limited occupancy over the last six years, with currently three permanent residents. The building is now over 50 years old and the council argues that it has exceeded its original operational life.
On its consultation page for Applethwaite Green, the council says: “We know the valued place Applethwaite Green has in the community and the longstanding role the home has played in supporting local people for more than 50 years.”
However it said the building is ‘costly and not fit for the future of modern care’.
Consultation with stakeholders
In a statement issued by the council, Nikkie Phipps, Assistant Director for Care Services at Westmorland and Furness Council, said: “We want to hear directly from residents, loved ones, staff and our wider communities so that any decisions we make are shaped by real experiences and focused on people’s wellbeing, dignity and safety.
“We understand that beginning a consultation on the future of these services may understandably cause concern for residents, their families and our staff and we are committed to managing this process with sensitivity, transparency and respect.
“I strongly encourage everyone with an interest to take part and share their views.”
Cllr Patricia Bell, Cabinet Member for Adult Care, said:
“We know how people feel about these homes, and we understand that even the start of a consultation on options for the future may be worrying for residents, families, and staff. These are people’s homes and places of work, not just buildings, and we are approaching this with care, openness and respect.
“Today’s Cabinet decisions are not about making a final choice – it is about listening. We want to hear directly from residents, loved ones, staff and local communities so that any decision we make is informed and focussed on people’s wellbeing, dignity and safety.”
Cabinet considered detailed reports outlining significant challenges facing both homes, including buildings that no longer meet modern care and regulatory standards, declining occupancy, workforce pressures, and high operating costs.
The issues for families
Families with residents in the home will be concerned about the potential closure. The homes are a little unusual in that the majority of residents are self-funded with few paid for by the state. The families fear that they will be forced into more expensive private homes and also about their loved ones being further away.
The council believe that alternative homes are available but the care home residents’ families say that these homes were built at the same time and aren’t significantly better in terms of facilities, plus they are further away and less close to family.
What happens next?
The consultation process ends on 18 August and a report will be sent to the Director of Care Services with recommendations, with decisions being taken later in the year. It will be interesting to see what the recommendations are and what is finally decided. Meanwhile local concerned families will have an anxious wait over the future of their loved ones in the two homes in question.
The wider perspective
While this is a local story, it is indicative of a wider issue regarding care homes. In nearby Lancashire there was a recent outcry when last October the Reform-led Lancashire County Council launched a similar consultation over ten care homes. There seems to be a trend of councils considering the transfer of care responsibilities from the public to the private sector. This will be of concern to many as there have been claims that the increased involvement of private equity in running care homes has had a deleterious effect both on the costs charged and the levels of care provided to residents, as private equity extracts higher profits from these homes, and fewer pounds of state funds go into provision and standards of actual care.
A national conundrum
In addition, at a national level, there doesn’t seem to be a consensus as to how the country is to plan for provision of social care. Back in 2019 on the doorstep of Downing Street after becoming Prime Minister, Boris Johnson famously promised to fix social care. While Johnson later introduced some changes to who funds it, neither he nor any successive governments have tackled the issue of who provides it.
More recently new PM Andy Burnham has announced that the findings of a review being carried out led by Baroness Casey, with recommendations to be brought forward to 2027. In addition, Burnham has referred to starting cross party discussions into how to resolve the care issue, including floating the idea of a National Care Service to run parallel to the National Health Service. It’s too early to speculate on the likelihood of success. In the meantime however, it’s a big concern for some families in the North West.
Based partly on an article by Local Democracy Reporter Zach Harrison.
Friends of Bylines Network
There has never been a greater need for grassroots journalism that investigates the stories that really matter, holds power to account and champions the voices of everyday citizens. We are proudly powered by volunteers but what we do isn’t free.
STAND WITH US for independent, citizen-led journalism that makes democracy stronger, and you will even get some exclusive benefits.
