Kent County Council (KCC) is proposing to permanently shut down a care home which was forced to close suddenly after worrying iron levels were found in the water.

The future of Blackburn Lodge on the Isle of Sheppey has been uncertain since residents were forced out back in November with just a couple of days of notice.

The county council says it would take £4million to bring the home up to the required standards and any work would take around 13 months.

In total, 13 residents were moved around the county to new care homes. Four of them have died since the move, with two families claiming the quick change played a major factor.

KCC is looking for local people’s views on the proposed closure of the site in Broadway, Sheerness, as it looks to “develop services on the Island that meet the needs of local people and are fit for the future”.

It says work needs to happen on the site whether the care home is re-opened or permanently closed.

A spokesman added: “In November the building was temporarily closed because of emergency health and safety concerns. A safety inspection identified high levels of iron in the piped water used for drinking and bathing which was 20 times higher than permitted levels. This was caused by the degradation of the ageing water pipe system.

“The 13 permanent residents were moved to alternative residential accommodation because it was not safe for them to stay at Blackburn Lodge. In addition, the older people’s daycare service was temporarily suspended at Blackburn Lodge. The council’s local Adult Social Care Community Team worked with the 16 attendees to make alternative arrangements for them where possible.”

KCC says the Care Quality Commission (CQC) wouldn’t meet the current standards for registration as a care home if it were to be built today as it has no en-suite bathrooms, and the general layout “makes access poor, and limits who can stay there”.

At the time of its temporary closure, the building could accommodate 34 beds for residents, but had just 13 permanent residents.

A statement on the consultation continued: “Despite a programme of improvement works in recent years, there are a number of building issues including subsidence and the water pipe system, which will require a considerable amount of money to fix.

“It has been estimated that to bring Blackburn Lodge up to current CQC standards would cost £4 million and could take 13 months to complete any work. Regardless of the outcome of this consultation there is no prospect of Blackburn Lodge re-opening in the near future because of the time that would be needed to complete the work on the building.”

‘We fully understand the proposal to permanently shut Blackburn Lodge will be upsetting for some of our residents and families...’

After the consultation closes, feedback from the consultation, alongside the Equality Impact Assessment, will be presented to the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee before a decision is made by the cabinet member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, Dan Watkins.

Cllr Watkins said: “We fully understand the proposal to permanently shut Blackburn Lodge will be upsetting for some of our residents and families.

“It is not an option we put forward lightly but it does follow a stark assessment of the building’s condition, including subsidence and issues with the water supply system, and the considerable cost it will take to fix it.

“This proposal also recognises the number of residents that can be safely cared for at Blackburn Lodge has greatly reduced since it was built in 1982 and the home has not operated at capacity for some years.

“We will be listening to all feedback and thoroughly assessing responses before any final decisions are taken.

“Meanwhile, we continue working with partners, providers and local organisations, including Swale Borough Council and Community Catalysts, to increase care opportunities on the island, as this is required whether or not Blackburn Lodge re-opens.”

You can access the consultation and have your say here – it closes on at the end of the day on Tuesday, May 7.

Sheppey Cental councillor Elliott Jayes (Swale Indepdents Alliance) says the decision to close it would be “absurd”.

He added: “Like most KCC consultations they have made their mind up and launched the consultation after.

“I hope people can have their say and we can keep it open. It’s a shame when hospitals are being blocked by people who need social care but have nowhere to go – it’s a vicious cycle.”

Previously, councillors have said they would fight against any decision to close the care home, including Queenborough and Halfway councillor Mike Whiting (Con), who said: “I have been clear in the past that if the home is to close then I would want that permanent closure before and unless there is alternative residential provision on Sheppey to replace it, and I stick to that position.”

Rita Bronger, 92, and Margaret Harcup, 91, were two residents at the Sheppey home who sadly died after moving.

Rita’s daughter Beverley believes her mother would still be alive if she hadn’t have been moved, adding: “Mum’s experience was totally isolating. With dementia, it’s really important she had stability and continuity and all those things had gone.

“I live in Sittingbourne and my siblings live in Gloucestershire, London, and Leicester so I’m the closest and tried to visit as often as I could but couldn’t be there 24/7.

“I was with her the day before she passed – she was awake and for the first time in a long time I could tell from her eyes she recognised me.

“The day after I couldn’t get to Tenterden in time. Had she been at Blackburn Lodge and I had a phone call I could’ve been there with her when she passed.”

Sharron Granger’s mother Margaret Harcup died after being moved to a care home in Faversham.

Ms Granger, 61, said: “We didn’t get a lot of notice about the move. We were told on the Wednesday mum would have to be out by the Friday.

“There was no decision-making or people told what would be happening. Mum started to decline mentally and physically when she got there. She started losing weight and her mobility and needed to be hoisted towards the end of her life. It was awful.”