OVER twenty residents living at Greathouse in Kington Langley will have to find new care homes after Leonard Cheshire announced its closure.

Greathouse, which currently looks after 21 adults with physical and learning disabilities, will close at the end of July after the care provider announced that the Victorian house was too costly to repair and operate.

"My son Richard has been looked after there since last January and he is devastated by the news," Anne Keat, of Rudloe, said. "Greathouse is a beautiful old building but they are saying it will cost too much to repair, so instead they have taken the decision to close it.

"Richard has realled settled in there and he's nearby to the rest of the family. The staff, some of which have been there for over 20 years, are also devastated. The whole thing is awful.

"I really feel for some of the residents. There was a meeting last night and some of them were crying they were that upset."

Residents and their families will now be consulted over the next few weeks about the closure, and Leonard Cheshire will help families find new homes for their residents. However, Mrs Keat said she is worried that her son will be placed in a nursing home.

"There are concerns that Richard will be placed in an elderly people's home," she added. "Greathouse is brilliant because Richard is with other young adults with similar conditions and staff that understand that and homes in Wiltshire are already oversubscribed."

A Leonard Cheshire spokesman said: “At Leonard Cheshire we always aim to offer the best quality service in modern accessible properties. Unfortunately the current building at Greathouse needs considerable repairs and does not meet today’s standards. After close and careful consideration we have reached the difficult decision to close the service.

“We will now work with all of our residents and their families in association with commissioners to help them choose their new home and support them throughout this transition process. We would also like to thank our dedicated staff for their ongoing commitment and we will also support them with their options.”