REGARDING the possible closure of homes for the elderly, we are given to believe that the reason is solely financial, and the figure given is £375,000 to be spent on each of the eight council homes to bring them up to a standard that is as yet not known.

Therefore, as the changes needed have not yet been issued by the government, how has the above figure been reached? I would think that it is very important therefore that each councillor is presented with a breakdown of this rather large estimate.

It would also at this point be in order for all the 19 Labour

councillors who have been deliberately excluded from taking part in this closure decision to demand to know why. And why have they all been refused access to the questions they may have had for Steve Pullen? And why were they not allowed to debate the decision at the outset?

I, as a member of the public, find this behaviour totally unacceptable. We do realise that Blackpool has more beds available for elderly care than "customers". Well, at this juncture, surely it would be in the interests of future residents if all unsuitable smaller private rest homes were removed from the list, leaving less beds to fill and only the best of homes left to use.

Talking of the best of homes, the eight council-run homes in question cannot be beaten for size or for the thought that has gone into the planning.

It seems ludicrous to close these buildings and force the occupants to move into small establishments with hardly any room to move just in the name of "saving finance".

If such closures are deemed necessary I suggest that it could be done over a period of three or four years. Please give this your consideration for all our sakes as once these buildings are gone they will never be replaced.

Lindsey Reddington,

Sandyforth Avenue,

Thornton Cleveleys.