Salford City Council has spoken out and is backing tenants who are living in two extra care schemes that are due to close.
Deputy City Mayor, Councillor John Merry – has sent an open letter to the chief executive of ForHousing reiterating that the council is ‘opposed to the current plan to decommission Monica Court and Astley Court’.
Elderly tenants in the schemes were told by ForHousing just over a week ago that they plan to close the two schemes and rehouse tenants over the coming years. Moncia Court is in Monton and Astley Court is in Irlam.
Councillor John Merry, who is also the lead member for adult services, health and well-being said: “The decision to close these two extra care schemes is an absolute disgrace and we stand with the people who lives in them, their families and loved ones. The people who live in these schemes need a high level of care and they absolutely deserve to live in their homes they are comfortable in, in peace.
“It is totally unacceptable that ForHousing made this decision without any agreement from the city council . In fact senior council officers and politicians were not even invited to the meeting where residents were told. We understand that eventually these two extra care schemes would need to be phased out, but not when there is no new provision being available in the localities.
“Now a job advert has been placed by ForHousing to decommission the homes which shows they have little regard for local people and their care.
“ForHousing need to reconsider this decision. This has caused tenants and their families much distress. Any decisions should be made in consultation with tenants, some of whom are over 100 years old and some who have lived in their homes since the early 1990s.”
