Elderly and disabled people living in a Woodley care home have been reassured their building has not be earmarked for disposal, despite its sale appearing on a council spending report.

A figure of £900,000 for Fosters Care Home in Fosters Lane was printed in Wokingham Borough Council’s estimated capital receipts for 2014/15, even though a consultation into the future of the home still ongoing.

At a meeting of the council’s executive committee on Thursday, January 26, Councillor Prue Bray, leader of Wokingham Liberal Democrats, asked for reassurance that a decision of the future of the home had not been made.

Cllr Julian McGhee-Sumner, executive member for health and wellbeing, said: “You correctly point out that the capital monitoring report lists a capital receipt of £900,000 for Fosters.

“Fosters has featured as an estimate in the last three capital monitoring reports based on the best understand of the building’s useful life.

“The estimate in no way determines the outcome of the consultation.” A consultation into the future of the home was launched in November last year with one option being to close it.

Families and those living at the site have called on the council to keep it open saying the level of care provided at the site is outstanding.

Cllr McGhee-Sumner told the meeting that the executive would consider the future of Fosters at its meeting in March but said no decision had been made on its future.

Cllr Bray also asked the executive that if a decision was made to close the home whether money from its sale would be used to build a similar facility. Cllr McGhee-Sumner said: “We have not predetermined that. Once we have got the consultation back we will look at it again.”

Leader of the council Cllr David Lee said the council had a strong commitment to providing suitable accommodation for the elderly.

He said: “We have shown very clearly our
commitment to this type of service. We have got Beeches nearly finished and we have got Hillside and Alexandra Place which is a superb facility.”

The consultation on Fosters runs until Wednesday, February 8.