As an Aycliffe Angel, Connie Soakell risked her life to make ammunition for the war effort. Now her council-run care home is under threat. Local Government Correspondent Mark Tallentire reports.

YESTERDAY morning, Durham County Council said it wanted to hear what people thought about closing seven of its 12 care homes – agreeing to launch a 12-week consultation.

Connie Soakell delivered her verdict within three hours.

Sitting in an upstairs room in Hackworth House, Shildon, she asked: “Where would we go? It should stay open. Everyone would wonder where to go.”

Hackworth has been Miss Soakell’s home for eight years.

The 91-year-old is not overly romantic about the care she receives, describing it as alright, but she is determined she should not be forced to move.

Born and bred in Shildon, she worked at Newton Aycliffe’s Royal Ordnance Factory 59 for four years – one of 17,000 people, mostly women, who braved dangerous conditions to assemble detonators and fuses for the war effort.

Unmarried, she has no close relatives in the area to visit her.

Speaking to The Northern Echo, she said: “I have been here eight years and seen people come and go. It’s alright.

You get your food and if you want anything, they come to you.”

Asked about her home closing, she replied: “Where would we go?”

Along with Hackworth House, Durham County Council’s cabinet agreed to discuss closing Manor House, in Annfield Plain; Glendale House, in Blackhall; Lynwood House, in Lanchester; Shafto House, in Newton Aycliffe; Stanfield House, in Stanley; and East Green, in West Auckland.

Long-term residential care would continue at Newtown House, in Stanhope, while Grampian House, in Peterlee, would continue to provide intermediate care.

A new short-term rehabilitation and respite care role will be explored for Cheveley House, in Belmont, Feryemount House, in Ferryhill, and Mendip House, in Chester-le-Street.

Politicians and officials stressed that consultation would be robust and thorough.

Racheal Shimmin, the council’s corporate director of adults, wellbeing and health, said: “We are very much aware that this is an extreme- As an Aycliffe Angel, Connie Soakell risked her life to make ammunition for the war effort. Now her council-run care home is under threat. Local Government Correspondent Mark Tallentire reports ly emotive issue and one on which many people will want to give their views.

“We would like to assure people that they will have a fair opportunity to get involved in the consultation and that their opinion will count.”

However, after yesterday’s cabinet meeting, several families with relatives living in Shafto House were unconvinced.

Ann Dryden, whose 91-yearold mother, Emmeline Dunn, is also a former Aycliffe Angel, said: “They are not involved.

It is not their parents.

“The home is exceptional.

The support it has got today proves that.

“The staff are wonderful, highly trained and my mam calls them her friends.”

Valerie Norman, whose mother, Violet Craft, is 86, said: “If she had to move, I think it would be the end of her.”

Judith Ruth, whose mother, Violet Richards, is 92, said: “I can appreciate why they have to look at some of the homes because of the state of the buildings, but they have not invested in the upkeep.

“It would be so distressing for these residents to have to move.”

The council said it would need £3m in the near future for major repairs and maintenance of its homes, £15m for basic improvements and more than £39m in total to bring the facilities up to registration and inspection standards.

Council care beds are about £300 a week more expensive to run than in the private sector, and occupancy rates are lower. Many councils have already closed their care homes, leaving Durham with 77 per cent of the council-provided beds in the North-East.

Four years ago, plans to close homes split the ruling Labour group and cost former council leader Ken Manton his job.