THERE'S noplace like home for the old people moving back into The Abbey care home atStaveley.

The home, which local people fought long and hard to save,has been re-opened after a refurbishment costing £670,000.

Yet therewas a touch of irony at the formal ceremony performed by Cumbria CountyCouncil chairman Ronnie Calvin and Coun Anne Burns, chairman of socialservices, for back in 1996 they were the in the Labour group which wantedto scrap the popular home completely.

It took the combined weight ofthe Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups to block theclosure.

Coun Edward Acland, Lib-Dem councillor for the Staveleyarea, said The Abbey was one of the most important homes in the wholecounty council area. Now it would be able to continue as a quality familyhome,

For the past year, 12 residents have been lodged in MaudesMeadow, Kendal, but they have all now chosen their new bedrooms in theluxuriously-refurbished Abbey and are preparing to move back in, alongwith another 18 new residents.

Aimee Richardson, manager of TheAbbey for the past 12 years, was delighted with the new-look building, which she said had been "turned back to front."

To preserve the facadeof the building which was originally a hotel, but to solve accessdifficulties for the elderly, the main entrance is now at the back. A newwing has also been built at the back to increase capacity.

A liftgives full access to the building, which now has 26 single bedrooms andtwo doubles, three lounges, once specially for the elderly mentally ill,and a day centre.

Coun Burns paid tribute to Edward Acland and thelate Coun Terri Mattinson for their efforts in ensuring The Abbey wasretained.

She said the task of updating the 33 homes scatteredacross Cumbria had been daunting, as the total cost was around £15million.

With the completion of the refurbishment of The Abbey thecouncil was, however, nearing the end of the programme, with just two morepremises to complete.

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