A battle to save a Birkenshaw residential care home looks set to be lost after council chiefs recommended its closure.

Councillor David Sheard (Lab), chairman of the Kirklees Council social services and health management board, believes Threelands Grange in Mill Lane should shut and money be reinvested in community services to support people to live independently.

The 25-year-old home - together with Castle Grange home in Newsome - was earmarked for closure by Kirklees Council because of moves to bring all care homes in the country up to the same standard.

Over the last few months, social services staff have consulted residents and their families about the homes' futures.

Coun Andrew Palfreeman (Con, Birstall and Birkenshaw), who is campaigning to keep Threelands Grange open, said he was despondent at the news.

"If the plan is to recommend the closure of Threelands Grange, then I am very disappointed," he said.

"I would be interested to know how they can go through the consultation process which, I'm sure, would have illustrated the feeling in Birkenshaw and of those in the home that it shouldn't close, and totally ignore that.

"We've always said they made this decision back in March when news first broke of the home's possible closure."

He said the Conservative group would be responding to Coun Sheard's announcement about the homes' future when the recommendation is put to a meeting of Kirklees Council on Wednesday.

But Coun Sheard said: "A great deal of time has been spent talking to residents individually, discussing options with them and their relatives for their future care, and assessing their individual needs. That support will continue and will be dealt with very sensitively.

"Comment has been made about the distress and disruption of moving residents to other homes if Castle Grange and Threelands Grange close. I fully appreciate those concerns. But such disruption would have to happen in any event.

"If the homes were to be kept open, residents would have to be moved out while extensive works to bring the homes up to new standards that will be required were carried out. In effect, residents would have to move twice.

"That work would take many months, at a cost of £70,000 for each home. Closing homes does not mean withdrawing services."

No-one at Threelands Grange was available for comment.

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