Somerset Council has promised to protect the well-being of vulnerable elderly people in its care after the news that two care homes could close at the end of April.

Somerset Care announced on Wednesday (February 28) that it would be consulting on the closure of the Sunnymeade facility on Hellier's Close in Chard and the Critchill Court care home on Lynwood Close in Frome.

The news has prompted outcry from local councillors, who have vowed to fight the closures and put residents' concerns at the forefront of any agreed solution.

Somerset Council – which commissions adult social care support, including residential placements in care homes – said residents' well-being was "our top priority" and work was under way to secure alternative accommodation.

Somerset Care currently operates 23 care homes in the county, located in Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea, Castle Cary, Chard, Cheddar, Frome, Langport, Minehead, Shepton Mallet, Somerton, South Petherton, Street, Taunton, Wells, Williton, Wiveliscombe and Yeovil.

The company – which is based on Blackbrook Park Avenue in Taunton – told the Chard and Ilminster News that Critchill Court and Sunnymeade needed to close due to their "dated and restrictive layouts, high running costs, and repair requirements", which threw their viability into question.

A spokesman said: "We will do everything possible to support all impacted residents and colleagues during this period of consultation.

"Critchill Court and Sunnymeade were built to meet the care requirements and living standards of the 1970-1980s, and are regrettably unable to keep pace with the increasingly complex care requirements of 2024 and beyond.

"The much-publicised chronic underfunding of the adult social care sector on a national level, along with the financial emergency declared by Somerset Council, means that the local authority care fees we receive do not meet the real cost of delivering the care which we are being asked to provide.

"We are truly sorry that we have been left with no alternative but to propose the closure of these care homes."

Councillor Connor Payne, whose Chard South division borders Sunnymeade, has launched a petition on Change.org opposing the closures – a petition which has already attracted nearly 450 signatures.

He said: "This has brought great distress to residents, their families, and the staff that care for them. These closures impact hundreds of Somerset residents.

"The 36 residents and families of Chard will have no alternative within their local area, and the 32 residents and families in Frome will also feel the consequences of these actions.

"Please sign this petition and help us to make sure that these proposed Somerset Care care home closures are given more thought before action is taken."

Councillor Martin Dimery, whose Frome West division includes Critchill Court, said he had not received any prior notice that the care home would be closing due to the commercial nature of ongoing discussions.

Mr Dimery – who was recently selected as the Green Party's parliamentary candidate for the new Frome and East Somerset constituency – said: "I have expressed my dismay that councillors are not to be trusted with information of this kind.

"Somerset Council is responsible for the placement of care home residents and the quality of the care provided, but the privatisation of the service means the council cannot prevent the closure of the home.

"I have every sympathy with those affected by this decision. My mother recently passed away whilst in residential care.

"I can only imagine the anxiety it would have caused her, our nearby family, and the staff, if given notice that she was to be moved to another home, not of her choosing.

"I have sought clarification from our adult social care team that residents will not be moved away from the Frome area. I was told that every effort would be made to accommodate residents locally but that official policy allows placements to be offered up to 30 miles away.

"Given Frome's considerable distance from other Somerset towns, I have requested that residents be offered placements in Wiltshire or the Bath and North East Somerset Council area if they are more convenient and accessible than those within Somerset. I am told this is possible."

Somerset Council said that it was in detailed discussions regarding the future of these sites and would ensure residents received a "safe and smooth transfer" to other care homes.

A spokesman said: "We are aware of Somerset Care's decision to close Critchill Court in Frome and Sunnymeade in Chard.

"We understand that this is an upsetting situation for both residents and staff, and we are working closely with Somerset Care, residents and their families to make alternative arrangements.

"The safety and well-being of residents, whether council-funded or not, is our top priority, and work has begun to ensure their safe and smooth transfer to alternative homes of their choice wherever possible, where their care and support needs can be met."

Mr Payne will be presenting his petition to the interim CEO of Somerset Care before the end of April. To add your support, visit www.change.org/p/stop-somerset-care-closures-in-somerset-frome-critchill-court-chard-sunnymeade.