Suffolk County Council care homes transfer decision upheld

Ixworth's care home will be closed and replaced by new homes in Bury St Edmunds

A decision to transfer Suffolk's 16 local authority care homes to a private firm has been endorsed after Labour opponents called it in.

The Conservative-run council's plan is to hand the centres to Care UK, which would then build 10 replacement homes.

Labour councillors claimed financial information was inadequate and asked the scrutiny committee to look at it.

Committee members upheld the original decision, saying it was not convinced by Labour's arguments.

The transfer of the homes was due to take place on 1 November before the decision was called in.

Councillor Colin Hart, Conservative chairman of the scrutiny committee, said: "The majority of the committee was not convinced by the 'call-in' argument that the information available to the cabinet, when they took their decision, was inadequate."

A new date for the transfer has yet to be set.

The council said Care UK would be investing £60m in building the new homes, with construction beginning next year.