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The very survival of the council care home in Haverhill is now in the balance just months after it had been expected that a start-of-the-art replacement was to be built.

Place Court is one of the 16 Suffolk County Council care homes and, as part of its move to hive off most of its services, the council is now considering closing them, selling them or transferring them to the private sector.

Earlier this year plans to build an ultra-modern care home on the site of Chalkstone Middle School, when it becomes redundant next year, were being hailed.

These were shelved during thw summer and have now been overtaken by the nmew events.

The council's cabinet is considering proposals for the future running of the its care homes for older people, and yesterday agreed a 12-week consultation with care home residents, families and carers about the proposed options.

The council says there are increasing numbers of older people in Suffolk who need support, with less money available to meet this growing demand.

Its care homes, while offering a high standard of care, cost the Suffolk taxpayer significantly more than similar placements in the independent sector.

"Older people frequently tell us they want to be independent and live in their own home wherever possible. We are developing ways to support people to do this as an alternative to longer term residential care," a council statement said yesterday.

The options in the cabinet paper include: closing the homes and commissioning alternative services from the independent sector,
selling the homes as 'going concerns' and
closing a number of homes and transferring the remaining homes to the independent sector.

Yesterday's meeting marked the first part of the process, which is to be followed by a 12-week consultation from November 1 to January 24, where residents and their families can have their say on the proposals, with a final decision being made by the cabinet in March 2011.

Nothing will change for residents until after cabinet has taken its decision, which will be informed by feedback from residents and families.

"The needs of residents and their families are crucially important, and we will be involving them at every stage, including meetings at all 16 care homes," the satement said.