2:26pm Monday 22nd March 2010
By Helen Orrell
WORK to rebuild a Colchester care home has ground to a halt.
Residents living near the former Greenways Care Home, in St Fillan Road, claim no work has taken place at the building site for months.
The home closed in October 2008 and 31 residents were sent to other homes amid concerns about their wellbeing.
A serious case review was launched in December 2008, but the findings have not been published.
Essex County Council, which owns the land, says the 66-bedroom day centre will be ready by spring 2011.
Colchester Council granted Excelcare permission for the new building last May.
But local residents say they have not seen any builders there since December and want to know why.
Paul Smith, St John’s ward councillor, said: “They demolished it, but then work just stopped.
“Nothing has been happening there since before Christmas.
“The site has just been shut up and we haven’t had a good explanation.
“Clearly, this doesn’t look like a building site that’s going to be ready within the year.
“We have spoken to the county council and it has said there have been some delays.
“We have asked for more details because we are concerned, particularly for the elderly residents who have had to move.”
Ray Gamble, fellow ward councillor, added: “We want to know what’s going on and the financial implications of the site sitting idle.
“It’s an eyesore and we are concerned it could stay like that for some time.”
Michael Page, Essex County Council spokesman, insisted: “Work has been ongoing.”
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