NEARLY all of Blackpool's care homes are to be saved after councillors and social services bosses approved an eleventh-hour co-operative takeover deal.

The Co-operative Development Agency and UNISON representatives met with Councillors George Bancroft (pictured), Roy Fisher, Sue Wright and director of social services Steve Pullan on Tuesday (October 10) to put forward plans to save two of the four mainstream homes earmarked for closure before the October 18 deadline.

The move, which is seen as a victory by homes' supporters, means that six of the eight homes will remain open and a seventh, Low Moor Manor, is looking likely to be sold to Trinity, the Hospice in the Fylde, leaving just one home facing the axe. The Citizen has campaigned to save the rest homes on behalf of the elderly residents since the council announced closure plans in July.

UNISON's Tony Garnsey said he had the names of more than 100 staff who were interested in working for the co-operative -- enough to run two homes.

The council also agreed to give the co-operative until November 17 to put in their final bid for the two homes. The council have yet to agree financial arrangements but a housing association is already said to have expressed an interest in buying the two buildings off the council to rent to the co-operative and another option would be for the co-operative to buy the buildings themselves using a loan from the Co-operative Bank.

The council has also agreed to:

NOT actively seek to relocate residents from the proposed co-operative homes prior to November 17.

GIVE staff the choice of applying for jobs in the council-run homes or the co-operative.

GIVE the co-operative until October 13 to choose which homes they want to keep open.

Steven Bate, spokesman for CARE, the Caring Alliance for Rest Home Elderly, said he was pleased with the progress that had been made at the meeting but said workers were still fearful of losing their jobs and needed time to consider their futures.

He said: "This is good news. The council has taken the co-operative bid seriously. Now they need to halt the redundancy threat. The staff should have time to make an informed choice, whether to be part of the co-operative or apply for new positions with the council. This is too important to rush."