West Norfolk councillors say it is ‘too late’ to save Burman House care home

Councillors have decided it is “too late” to save a care home which is set to shut this month - but have vowed to improve provisions elsewhere in the borough.

The closure of Burman House Residential Home in Terrington St John has sparked controversy since it was announced in October, with residents already in the process of being moved out into different facilities.

Despite this, Cllr Alex Kemp put forward a motion at last Thursday’s full West Norfolk Council meeting which called for members to write to County Hall and plead for the home to remain open.

She was quickly met with an amendment from Cllr Deborah Heneghan which suggested that the borough council should instead write and ask to be included in discussions over future care sector discussions.

The building is owned by the county council, but the home itself is run by Norse Care.

Cllr Sandra Squire said: “It is too late to save this care home. The motion as brought is shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

“However, we do need to ask Norfolk County Council what are the plans for care in West Norfolk, because there isn’t a good selection.”

Cllr Brian Long also slammed Cllr Kemp’s motion, citing the fact that Burman House was constructed in the 1960s and that “standards have changed”.

He believe the residents, many of whom suffer with dementia, should be able to live in higher-quality accommodation with en-suite facilities.

Norse Care previously said the main reasons for closing the home are the “growing complexity” of care required by its residents and the fact that current room sizes are inadequate for delivering complex care.

Cllr Long said: “There comes a time when you can’t accept these circumstances any longer.

“Writing to save this is really the wrong move. Cllr Kemp is a county councillor - she could have brought this motion to the county council to try and save the care home.

“She wants us to vote to try and save something which is substandard. What we should be doing is fighting for West Norfolk to have something which is way better - way, way better.”

Cllr Stuart Dark backed Cllr Long’s view, saying Burman House is “not up to muster”.

Councillors voted to approve Cllr Heneghan’s amendment, with the motion subsequently being passed as a whole.

In short, it means they will write to the county council about care provisions as a whole in the borough, but not to plead for Burman House to stay open.

Cllr Kemp had described the closure decision as “extraordinary”, claiming that some residents have had to be carried out of the home on stretchers due to their poor health.