Hanover Housing Group is taking over six of Durham council鈥檚 16 care homes that are threatened with closure.
Hanover will get a 拢16m council grant to demolish the homes and replace them with 鈥渆xtra care鈥� facilities by March 2004. Care will be provided by the council鈥檚 care arm, County Durham Care. The council already has one extra-care unit run by Bradford and Northern Charitable Housing Association.

The council will retain and modernise nine of its 25 homes but they could be sold to registered social landlords later.

It will build four homes for elderly people with mental illnesses and will discuss involving RSLs in the projects in January. Five council homes will close, and the council will expand care-at-home services.

Source

Housing Today