Leeds care home closure sparks sale plan amid major council cost crisis
A former care home in Morley is to be sold after being closed down by the council.
Leeds City Council is proposing to put Knowle Manor up for auction after elderly residents were moved out.
A decision to close the home as part of multi-million pound cost-saving plans faced opposition in 2024.
There have been long-running campaigns from residents to save the home from closure over the years.
Another home, Dolphin Manor in Rothwell, was to be turned into a specialist dementia care centre.
A sale of the Knowle Manor building on Tennyson Terrace would help raise cash for the council, which must save more than £100m this financial year.
A final decision on a sale of the home is due next month.
A council spokesperson said: “Following the closure of Knowle Manor, the council no longer has a future operational use for the site, and in such cases we would always seek to dispose wherever possible.
“This is currently an ongoing process and will be subject to a formal decision before any disposal is agreed.”
Fears were raised over the care needs of vulnerable residents when the closure plans faced a challenge from opposition councillors last August.
But the were told demand for residential care had declined as more people seek to be looked after in their own homes.
At the time, the council said it was working with residents and social workers to find people alternative accommodation.
The sale proposal is classed as a “key decision” by the council, meaning it would have a financial impact of more than £500,000.