The last Council-run home for elderly people in Keighley is likely to close because it does not meet health and safety standards.

Council chiefs admit Ingrow Green would fail a fire safety inspection and does not meet new requirements governing the size of rooms.

Bradford Council is now looking at various solutions including building a new state-of-the-art home to avoid the £1 million cost of improvements.

Council officers were this week outlining the situation to staff and residents of relatives in a series of meetings.

The home will remain open for at least the next few months while consultations are carried out as to the best way forward.

Alison O'Sullivan, the Council's acting assistant director of community care, said safety is not being compromised at Ingrow Green.

And John Godward, the councillor responsible for health and social care, promised facilities would be improved in Keighley.

Ingrow Green, in Staveley Road, was built 30 years ago and currently has 29 long-stay residents. Around 20 other elderly people use the remaining five beds for respite care.

Councillor Godward this week confirmed that closing Ingrow Green is one of the options. "We can't go on any longer with the building not being up to standard," he said.

"The care at Ingrow Green is excellent, but staff are being asked to work in conditions that are not acceptable in this day and age. We're asking elderly people to live in those conditions too.

"We don't meet the fire regulations and we're risking a closure order from the fire officer."

Coun Godward said one option is to work with a housing association to build a new complex offering up-to-date standards of care.

Irene Ellison-Wood, chairman of Keighley Area Panel and a former social services chairman, pledged to monitor the consultation process.

Social services staff will next week present the possible options for Ingrow Green to the council's new ruling "cabinet", the executive committee.

A public consultation process will then begin, and in about three months the results will be reported back to the executive for a final decision on the home's future.

Relatives and close friends of residents were this week sent letters about the possible changes and invited to talk to staff about the best way to inform their loved ones in the home.

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