Anger as Louisa's home still open
Underhill House residential home in Wolverhampton is still open - more than three months after elderly people including 106-year-old Louisa Watts were controversially evicted on the coldest day of the year.
Underhill House residential home in Wolverhampton is still open - more than three months after elderly people including 106-year-old Louisa Watts were controversially evicted on the coldest day of the year.
The council-owned site in Bushbury is being used as a day centre while another in the city is demolished and rebuilt.
Members of Low Hill-based Chris Laws Day Centre have been using Underhill House since the last residents were relocated in January after council bosses said it was not fit for purpose.
And, with no final closure date for the building, campaigners today said the eviction of Mrs Watts and her friends amid freezing temperatures was unacceptable.
Fallings Park Labour councillor Steve Evans, who led the campaign against the home's closure, said: "There was no need to evict them on the coldest day of the year in January when the home is still being used."
The Tory-Liberal Democrat alliance in charge of Wolverhampton City Council blamed the cost of bringing the home up to modern standards for the reason it had to close.
The Chris Laws Day Centre closed last year for refurbishment to be part of the new Showell Court sheltered housing scheme in Low Hill.
The day service was temporarily transferred to part of Underhill House while Accord Housing Association carried out the redevelopment. But it was later decided to completely rebuild it, meaning the final closure date for Underhill House is still unknown.
Wolverhampton City Council's director for adults and community Sarah Norman said today: "The closure of the residential service at Underhill House was approved 12 months ago as part of our modernisation of services for older people in Wolverhampton.
"The two functions operated completely separately, albeit on the same site.
"The closure of Underhill as a residential care home had been planned for many months because the building was not able to meet modern standards for residential care as the bedrooms were very small and did not provide en-suite facilities.
The use of another part of the building to provide day care is not affected by these issues as only a lounge area is required. However, this is still only a short term arrangement until the new facility at Showell Court is complete."
* News the home is still being used as a day centre comes as millionaire businessman Trevor Beattie today launched a campaign aimed at ousting eight Wolverhampton councillors who voted against keeping the home open.
The advertising executive was so touched by the plight of 106-year-old Louisa Watts that he offered to pay £80,000 to keep it open for another year. The offer was refused by Wolverhampton City Council.
