Resident, 101, challenges Leicester City Council home closure plan
A 101-year-old Leicester woman is challenging the city council's decision to close her care home.
Leicester City Council is planning to close or sell off eight residential care homes by 2016.
Mrs Karia, a resident of Herrick Lodge, claims the loss of the culturally sensitive care provided by the home has not been fully considered.
The High Court has allowed a "rolled-up hearing", a shortened judicial review, which should happen in April or May.
Mrs Karia's solicitor Daniel Carney from Deighton Pierce Glynn, said: "Herrick Lodge provides services to its ethnic minority population both because of its location and its Hindu temple within the property.
"It provides care for Mrs Karia in a language she understands and the law requires the council to look carefully at that before it decides to close something, and I'm sad to say there is very little evidence of that."
But Kamal Adatia, city barrister and head of standards at Leicester City Council, said the consultation into the care homes' future had been going on for almost two years.
"Nobody begrudges Mrs Karia's right to probe, challenge and test the decision of the local authority but we say that the challenge is sadly misconceived.
"Herrick Lodge is 83% empty, there are seven residents in a home with a capacity for 40 people.
"It can't be an ideal environment to spend one's latter years rattling around an institution and it's simply not viable to run and operate a care home which is 83% empty," said Mr Adatia.
In a statement, Leicester City Council added: "We've had a very long and thorough process of consultation and analysis leading to this decision.
"Demand for placements within the council's elderly person's homes is reducing, making some of the homes unsustainable."
The council added alternative accommodation would be given to the 47 residents staying in homes due to close and homes being sold would be owned and operated by independent providers "as going concerns".