Apartments to replace care homes for elderly in Derbyshire

Plans to replace 20 care homes in Derbyshire with apartments for the elderly have been announced by Derbyshire County Council.

The authority said it hoped to spend nearly £200m building about 1,600 new flats to replace existing homes over the next seven years.

It said the new apartments would feature safety features such as panic buttons and automatic lighting.

The plans would see only four current homes retained and four new ones built.

Council-run care homes earmarked for closure or demolition include facilities in Belper, Ripley, Borrowash, Ashbourne and Chesterfield.

The authority said its homes in Castle Gresley, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Bolsover and Eckington would remain open.

'Way forward'

As well as building the new flats on 27 sites around the county, the council also plans to build four new "super care homes" in Swadlincote, Staveley, Darley Dale and Heanor.

The new complexes would include facilities such as hairdressers, a gym and extra provision for dementia care.

Charles Jones, cabinet member for adult care, said: "This is a brilliant way forward. It's not being done by any other county in the country."

A cabinet vote on the proposals will take place on 20 February. If they are given the go-ahead, public consultations will take place on the homes affected.

The council added the plans were not "set in stone" and could still be subject to alteration as a result of the consultations.