Coronavirus Kent: Consultation on future of Blackburn Lodge care home, Sheerness, will be paused, says councillor
08:49, 31 March 2020
updated: 08:51, 31 March 2020
A consultation aimed at getting views on the future closure of a care home is to be paused in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
Kent County Council (KCC), which runs and manages Blackburn Lodge in Broadway, Sheerness, asked people to submit their opinions on its future in January.
It specialises in care for people living with dementia and Alzheimer's.
The 10-week scheme was due to finish today but the cabinet member in charge, Cllr Clair Bell (Con), announced it would be paused instead.
The cabinet member for adult social care and public health took the decision following concerns people might not have been able to submit their views in time.
KCC shut all libraries, where paper copies of the consultation were available, in response to the virus outbreak.
Cllr Bell said: "In light of the current situation with [coronavirus], Kent County Council will be pausing the process with Blackburn Lodge once the consultation closes on March 31.
"This means the decision on the way forward for the care home will be delayed and not be taken in May/June as originally stated."
There was no firm date given by the authority for when the process would resume.
"When the situation has improved enough for KCC to continue with the process, it will undertake an additional short period of consultation in case some people were unable to submit a response during the last two weeks," Cllr Bell added.
A KCC spokesman confirmed its website would be updated when the consultation officially closes shortly before midnight.
A pressure group – made up of Minster-on-Sea Parish Council and Sheerness Town Council members, as well as county Cllr Ken Pugh (Con) – was set up to encourage people to take part.
Last week we reported how Minster Cllr Dolley White was calling for KCC to review an extension of the consultation process in light of the outbreak.
Visit the consultation website in order to have your say.
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