RESPITE services at a Macclesfield care home - used by Knutsfordians - are set to be closed later this year – just 12 months after it was granted a reprieve.

Cheshire East Council's cabinet made the final decision on Hollins View – and Lincoln House in Crewe – at its meeting on Tuesday, June 30.

Respite care for the elderly and those with dementia will be transferred to the private sector at the end of the year, according to the cabinet.

The report, backed in a unanimous vote by the cabinet, highlights that 90 per cent of respite care provision in neighbouring local authorities across the north west is in the independent sector.

Cllr Michael Jones, leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “This is the best solution and right thing to do as it is about putting residents first and local first – and local is best.

“We will guarantee local first care for people accessing respite care.

“Some campaigners appear obsessed with brick and mortar – but I care about the people and providing the right support and care in the right place and at the right time.”

Currently just nine people are accessing respite care at Lincoln House.

Lincoln House and Hollins View are currently commissioned to provide the council’s in-house residential care and the report recommended that widening out the service to the independent sector will help residents in rural communities, who may need the service.

Cheshire East said it intends to retain both Lincoln House and Hollins View sites for use to deliver other local services to local residents.

The future of both care homes has been subject to scrutiny for some time.

Last year four petitions were launched in a bid to save both homes, with almost 1,400 signing the petition in Crewe, which was raised by Cllr Dorothy Flude.

This caused the council to make a U-turn and offer a 12-month extension for both homes until December 2015.

Cllr Jones added: “The majority of service users accessing Cheshire East respite service are already using independent sector providers, either exclusively (56 per cent) or in combination with a stay in council facilities (10 per cent).

“We will now be able to offer better value and a better range of respite for carers.”