CAMPAIGNERS fighting to keep open an Eden care home were dealt a devastating blow when councillors voted to shut it down permanently.

Members of Cumbria County Council's Cabinet made the decision to close Edenside Care Home, Appleby, despite protests outside Kendal County Hall.

The home was deluged during December's floods and the residents evacuated to the Greengarth care home in Penrith and there were fears that it could happen again.

One of those forced out of Edenside was Alan Burns, 75, who said: "I don't see why they (councillors) went to all this trouble when they'd already made their minds up."

He was one of 25 banner-waving supporters of the home who were protesting before last Thursday's meeting.

"Edenside is fantastic. At present I can't wheel myself out but when I could I used to come downstairs to the front door and just sit out on the front - with flowers, everything.

"It's not just for the sake of myself and the 14 others residents - don't people realise with common sense that they might need 24 hour attention?"

Brenda Smith, corporate director for Health, Care and Community Services, put forward three recommendations which ranged from de-registering (closing) the home to looking at the future for Appleby's older residents.

She said there was no guarantee that the home would not flood again adding that the evacuation had been "traumatic" for residents, staff and emergency services. The residents evacuated from Edenside are to remain at Greengarth

Speaking in support of closure, Cllr Patricia Bell, who holds the portfolio for finance, said that money was not the deciding factor for her.

"The main reason that I support the recommendations is that I think that the risk of flooding is too high," she said. "I realise how much the home means to the people of Appleby.

"Would I want my mum to be there? I do not see how if it was to re-open that Edenside could take anyone but people who were fit enough to be evacuated if there was a flood."

After the flooding, a consultation period was undertaken to gather views from the residents who were impacted by the flood, their families and the local community.

Throughout this year, residents have campaigned to re-open Edenside, signing petitions and marching in the streets of Appleby.

Cllr Martin Stephenson, who represents Appleby, said that he was 'disappointed' that a more expansive view on the plans for alternative provision had not been taken.

"One accepts the fact that it's a potentially dangerous location in terms of flooding but there are alternative sites," he said. "Closure was always going to be an option so the public must have had that on their radar but it is a considerable disappointment to the community."