DURHAM County Council's new leader has pledged to keep open all the elderly people's homes earmarked for closure under controversial plans that cost his predecessor his job.

Former miner Albert Nugent, from Seaham, was yesterday formally elected to the post he won from Ken Manton, councillor for Bishop Auckland, who held the post for five years.

Councillor Nugent was among the backbench rebels who defeated the cabinet in a Labour group meeting in February over plans to shut all the council's remaining 12 residential care homes.

There was a dispute between the factions about whether the decision included three homes - Hackworth House at Shildon, Lynwood House, Lanchester, and East Green, West Auckland - that were part of a first phase of closures begun in 2001.

But Coun Nugent said that apart from a thirteenth home, Wellfield House, Murton, which had effectively closed when the issue came to a head, the homes would stay open and would be upgraded over several years to meet new standards.

"The homes will remain and we will support them," he said. "Over five or six years, we can bring them up to scratch and continue to give the people of County Durham the service they want."

He suggested private investment could be sought for the work. "I think the money can be found but I'm not talking about it happening overnight.

"Ministers are always on about partnerships but there is no reason why we shouldn't have a partnership, but with 60-40 control to the county council so it continues to own them," he said.

"We voted on February 22 to keep open 12 homes, not nine - and they will remain open."

He said the whole issue would be brought back to cabinet for re-consideration.

But Coun Nugent said that keeping open Lynwood House "might be a difficult one to say the least", as he had been told it had only three residents.

The GMB union was at the forefront of public protests against the closures and county council branch convenor Derrick Little said: "Obviously, we are delighted because we had more than 300 employees whose jobs were at risk.

"The staff and the residents will be delighted at this. We'll have to see what happens as the weeks progress."