One borough care home put up for sale, another yet to be put on the market after closures

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Several former Derbyshire care homes are being sold at auction after the council failed to secure a buyer to keep them running.

In June, Derbyshire County Council confirmed it had emptied and closed eight care homes it had been aiming to sell to a sole provider, after determining it could no longer keep them itself.

However, last December, that sale fell through – and, despite offers from other prospective buyers for a number of the individual homes, the council proceeded to dispose of them.

Now empty for three months, three of the care homes are now being sold at auction, with the future of the remaining five facilities so far unspecified, with the council previously saying it could consider using some for other services.

Thomas Colledge House, in Oxcroft Lane, Bolsover, is listed for sale at auction on October 28th with a guide price of £375,000 for the 24-bed care home, said to be in an “excellent condition”.

The council has listed Briar Close House in Briar Close, Borrowash, at the same auction, with a guide price of £300,000 for the 40-bed facility, “extensively refurbished” by the authority in 2023 and in “exceptional” condition.

Meanwhile, Castle Court Care Home in Arthur Street, Castle Gresley, is listed for sale at auction on September 30 with a guide price for the 40-bed facility of £600,000.

The full list of eight care homes closed and empty as of the first week of June this year were:

• The Leys, Ashbourne
• Thomas Colledge House, Bolsover
• Briar Close, Borrowash
• Castle Court, Castle Gresley
• The Grange, Eckington
• Lacemaker Court, Long Eaton
• New Bassett House, Shirebrook
• Rowthorne, Swanwick

The facilities in Ashbourne, Eckington, Long Eaton, Shirebrook and Swanwick are not presently publicly listed for auction or for sale.

A decision to dispose and sell the eight affected care homes was taken by the previous Conservative county council administration in late 2024, before the May 2025 election in which Reform UK gained control.

An intended sale to a sole operator was pursued but failed in December last year, in the lead-up to Christmas.

The decision, under the Reform administration, was then taken to empty the facilities and close them, with all residents needing to find new accommodation, as opposed to potentially staying in the facilities under new management.

Previously, Councillor Joss Barnes, cabinet member for adult care, said: “It’s vital we have a sustainable in-house care service fit for the future and our focus is now on wraparound dementia care with integrated day services to support carers.

“We’ve increased the number of community support beds across the county which not only helps people get home from hospital, they also help prevent people from going into hospital by offering short-term support and rehabilitation.

“Our focus is to help more people to live independently at home, in their own communities among family and friends, which is what they tell us they want.

“This transformation will help us support our residents to live the lives they want to for as long as they can.”