THE Abbeyfield Society has confirmed that consultations with residents of its two sheltered homes in Wellington were with a view to closing them.

Tenants of Ivy House and The Old Vicarage were told on Thursday (May 18) of a review which had been carried out of 13 Abbeyfield homes across the Westcountry.

A spokeswoman for the society told the Wellington Weekly the review was ‘part of making a clear plan for the future of the organisation and each of our homes’.

The spokeswoman said: “These reviews considered how our properties can keep pace with the changing needs, tastes, and expectations of older people, the investment required to bring them up to modern standards, and whether they are able to meet new regulatory and energy efficiency requirements.

“We also needed to reflect how the past few difficult years have impacted the organisation’s finances, particularly the impact of the Covid pandemic, the huge increase in energy prices, rising inflation, and rapidly increasing operating costs.”

She said the decision to consult on the closure of The Old Vicarage, which has 30 self-contained flats, and Ivy House, with 25 flats, was ‘difficult’ and taken ‘with regret’.

Everybody taking part in the consultation process would have an opportunity to share their thoughts, ideas, and any proposals they might have before Abbeyfield took a final decision.

The spokeswoman said: “We fully acknowledge the impact that this consultation, and any potential outcomes, will have on our residents and staff in particular, and we will be doing everything we can to support and assist them through this difficult process.”

The consultation will run until the end of July, while Abbeyfield staff were subject to a 45-day consultation over their jobs.

The spokeswoman said there were a number of Abbeyfield homes which were run by independent societies and these were not part of the review.