LONDON – 19 December 2025: The sudden breakdown of a deal to transfer eight Derbyshire council-run care homes to a private provider has prompted urgent political concern, assurances from local leaders and a fast-moving effort to rehouse residents ahead of Christmas.
Derbyshire County Council, controlled by Reform UK, confirmed this week that talks to sell the properties have collapsed. The authority said there is no immediate interruption to care services but acknowledged the closure of the proposed sale route creates instability for residents, staff and families. Council leaders have apologised to those affected and said they will actively help find alternative placements.
The fallout reached Westminster, where the Prime Minister described the situation as “deeply concerning” for residents and their relatives. Keir Starmer drew attention to recent additional funding for local government, noting that an extra £3.7bn has been made available to councils to support social care, as he urged that disruption to vulnerable people be minimised.
Local MPs pressed the issue in parliament. Amber Valley Labour MP Linsey Farnsworth warned colleagues that families had been left devastated just days before Christmas by the prospect of closures. Mid-Derbyshire MP Jonathan Davies said the development was “incredibly disappointing and concerning” and warned of the harm caused by any move that forces residents to leave their homes or sees staff lose jobs at a sensitive time of year.
Derbyshire leaders said commercial confidentiality prevents them from speaking in detail about the negotiations with the prospective buyer, but local reporting indicates the provider deemed the deal financially unviable. The council said that, while other options are being explored, there was limited scope for further negotiation with the original purchaser.
Eight homes were named as part of the package affected: Briar Close (Borrowash), Castle Court (Swadlincote), The Grange (Eckington), Lacemaker Court (Long Eaton), The Leys (Ashbourne), New Bassett House (Shirebrook), Rowthorne (Swanwick) and Thomas Colledge (Bolsover). A further home, Ada Belfield in Belper, remains on the market as a going concern and is not currently expected to be affected.
Joss Barnes, the council’s cabinet member for adult care, said the decision to end the sale was “entirely outside the council’s control” and described the situation as “fluid,” with multiple options under consideration. Barnes argued that remarketing the homes for another 12–18 months would prolong uncertainty for residents without guaranteeing a different outcome, while also incurring running costs for the authority.
Council officials emphasised their immediate priority is the wellbeing of residents, and pledged to secure private placements where necessary while honouring commitments not to pass extra placement costs on to residents. They also stressed that the authority’s longer-term transformation programme is focusing on specialist dementia provision rather than the residential format of the homes up for sale.
The episode underscores wider financial pressures in England’s social care market and the fragility of care-home provision in some areas, where margins are tight and potential buyers are deterred by rising costs, workforce shortages and regulatory demands. Ministers have argued that recent additional funding will help, but campaigners and opposition MPs say chronic underinvestment and an ageing population mean more systemic reforms are required to stabilise the sector.
Derbyshire says it will continue to work urgently with families, staff and potential providers over the coming days to secure placements and limit disruption. The council has pledged to keep affected parties updated as the situation evolves.
Source: BBC
