ALMOST £800,000 is to be invested in repairs to care homes across Lancashire amid fears failure to do so could result in them closing.

Lancashire County Council has announced a £796,000 investment in 17 homes across the county, including seven in East Lancashire.

More than £100,000 of that money will be spent installing wi-fi.

Council bosses warn £629,000 of ‘priority one’ work needs to be carried out and that failure to do so urgently could result in the immediate closure of premises, negatively impact the health and safety of occupants and/or result in a serious breach of legislation.

As well as carrying out urgent repairs the authority is also looking at a programme of works to address the structural condition of buildings.

A £42,000 feasibility study will be carried out on all 17 homes, which house more than 700 residents, to assess the extent of work required and the cost.

The homes in East Lancashire include Lower Ridge in Belevedere Road, Burnley, Woodside in Burnley Road, Padiham, Favordale in Byron Road, Colne, Cravenside, in Lower North Avenue, Barnoldswick, Woodlands in Warwick Avenue, Clayton-le-Moors, Castleford in Queens Road, Clitheroe, and Olive House in New Line, Bacup.

A council report said most of the council’s homes are now looking ‘tired’ and are in need of an internal refresh while wi-fi is becoming a requirement of many prospective residents.

Cllr Tony Martin, cabinet member for adult and community services, said the homes were fully modernised in 2005.

He said; “That was 12-years-ago so some of the decoration is looking tired. It is an opportunity to make them more attractive.

“There are more residents with deprivation of liberty orders in place so we have got to make sure the homes are secure and people are protected.

“I am pleased we have found the money to do it in times of austerity.”

Former Age Concern director general and Lancashire Telegraph columnist Gordon Lishman said: “Generally where councils have continued to have homes they have slowly deteriorated so I strongly suspect this is needed."