HARLOW'S pensioners have condemned Essex County Council for ignoring their fears over the sale of elderly people's homes.

Les Coben, vice-chairman of the Harlow Pensioners Action Association, said Thursday's decision to sell off 33 of the 36 county-owned homes for older people was "disgraceful".

And he criticised the way his coachload of pensioners -- who travelled to the meeting in County Hall, Chelmsford -- were treated.

He raged: "The whole meeting was absolutely disgusting. Hundreds of people turned up from all over Essex, but the council only let 30 people in. The rest of us, mostly pensioners, had to wait outside for three hours.

"I managed to get in, and was shocked when a young policewoman asked a security guard if she should search us. Who did they think we were? Terrorists? We're pensioners."

He added: "There's nothing much we can do now the decision has been made. We just hope that the same level of care at the homes is stuck to, as promised."

The decision was a close one, with 16 councillors voting for the proposal, and 16 against. Tory chairman Joe Pike had the casting vote.

Their actions mean that two Harlow homes -- Ashlyns and Goldsmiths -- will be sold, despite huge opposition from the pensioners group, Harlow district councillors, and Harlow MP Bill Rammell.

Mr Coben said: "The whole voting set-up was very undemocratic. For the Tory chairman to have the casting vote on a Conservative proposal was ridiculous."

However, the decision has been described as inevitable by Cllr Pike.

He said: "We were left with little choice but to sell these homes because of the large levels of overspending we inherited when we took over the administration of the council.

"With no new money from central government, we had to find savings within the social services budget."

He pledged that quality of care would remain high, and that thorough checks would be made on potential purchasers of the homes.

However, the county's Labour group has condemned the Tories for ignoring public opinion, despite a lengthy consultation, which resulted in a large scale condemnation.

Cllr Roy Smith said: "We, in the Labour group, opposed and voted against these disgraceful proposals. It is clear that the consultation process was a sham and the Tories have ignored the wishes of Essex people.

"We are very annoyed and disgusted by their actions, in which they put money above elderly people."

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