DOUBTS continue to surround the future of Keswick’s Ravensfield home for the elderly which was evacuated during the floods in November. 

County Council officials say there will be public consultation before any decision is made to keep the home open or close it and a spokesman said that decision was still under review.

Some of the residents have now settled in other homes. However Keswick businessman Tony Rathbone is anxiously awaiting a date when Ravensfield will reopen so his wife's sister Ann Peill can return.

Mr. Rathbone said: "My wife Jean and her elder sister Maureen Abraham regularly visited Anne at Ravensfield taking her out for coffee or to have her hair done. It is not so easy for them to get to Aspatria and they are anxiously waiting for news of when she may be able to return.”

The decision to evacuate Ravensfield was taken by Cumbria County Council on Thursday 18th November as the levels of the water rose in the River Greta, and there were fears it would be inundated.

Many of the residents were moved out to homes in Penrith and Aspatria and have now had almost two months in their new homes, with no date of the possible reopening of Ravensfield yet set.

A spokesman for the County Council said the decision to evacuate Ravensfield was not taken lightly and this is the second time in the past few years that vulnerable residents have had to move out. He said great care was taken to make sure the residents were kept as close to their families as possible with many being relocated to Penrith.

He said: "We have written to families of residents who were displaced from Ravensfield about the challenges that are presented by the location of the home and the risk of further flooding incidents. We will also be writing to them again in the near future ahead of this issue being discussed by the County Council's Cabinet. Cabinet members will need to consider the long term future for the home, its staff and the residents who have been displaced."

Five of the people who were moved from Ravensfield in November have indicated they want to stay where they are now. There were already eight vacancies at the home at High Hill before the floods came, so there would potentially be a home with a capacity of 30 residents and only 17 people in it if it were to open again.

The Council spokesman said:"Any decision made by Cabinet would be accompanied by the necessary consultation with residents, their families, staff and the wider public."

---

Bookmark with: what are these?