PLANS to demolish a care home and build a more modern one on the site, as part of a county-wide initiative to improve services for the elderly, will be considered by councillors today.

Durham County Council is planning to demolish Stoneleigh, in Barnard Castle, as part of a scheme to create seven new care units in the county.

But frail residents of the care home face the prospect of being transferred to a different home while their current home is demolished and rebuilt.

The county council originally planned to build the new home elsewhere in the town, but so far no suitable new site has been found.

That means the current home will have to be knocked down to make way for the new unit.

The county council plans to close 17 of its 25 care homes for the elderly, to make way for seven homes which will allow residents to have more independence.

There have also been problems in finding new sites for care homes in Chester-le-Street and Spennymoor, and they, too, will have to close earlier than planned.

Stoneleigh is now expected to close in autumn, as opposed to March 2004, as initially planned.

Today, members of Teesdale District Council will discuss the latest developments during a meeting of the policy and resources committee.