The public has been urged to give its views on the potential closure of The Abbey residential care home in Staveley.

Last Monday, a consultation on the future of the site opened and is due to last until November 1. The proposals being discussed would involve the home being closed and made available for alternative uses.

However, Staveley resident Andy Pimblett thinks Cumbria County Council (CCC) should be investing in the home, rather than exploring other options, and urged the public to have its say at a community drop-in event next month.

He said: “It’s an important part of the village,” he said. “We take a lot of pride in Staveley, in the way our elderly are cared for.

“Kids go down there at Christmas and do the carol concerts, in the summer they have garden parties.

“It’s like the heartbeat of the village.”

He added: “It’s a proposal to close it. There’s no decision made yet.

“We need to properly engage and turn out to the meeting on October 8.”

Indeed, the council has asked people to give their views on the future of The Abbey, either via an online questionnaire - available at cumbria.gov.uk/haveyoursay - or during a drop-in event at Staveley Village Hall on October 8, from 3.30pm - 7pm.

The ‘three potential options for future development’ listed in the online questionnaire are: A “mixture of extra care housing” combined with “a small 10 bed residential unit”; “affordable residential homes plus a number of ‘care ready’ elderly persons homes”; and “sale of the site for mixed provision residential homes” with the capital used for other services.

Cllr Patricia Bell, CCC cabinet member for adult social care, said: “We know from conversations we’ve had with the community already that The Abbey is an important part of the village.

“But there is also a recognition that it would take a significant investment to bring it up to modern standards, and with the trend of reducing demand for residential care there are other ways of providing care in future that might better meet people’s needs and aspirations.”