Concerns have been raised after a deal to save several other care homes fell through
Sophie Fagone Buscimese Trainee Reporter
06:00, 15 Jan 2026
The future of a Derbyshire care home remains unclear a month after Reform UK councillors at Derbyshire County Council decided to close eight others in the county.
MP for Mid Derbyshire, Jonathan Davies, has called on the council to "learn the lessons of their failure" and to consider alternative options to avoid the closure of Belper's Ada Belfield care home.
The council previously said that the closure of the eight care homes, which was announced before Christmas, came after a deal with a private provider fell through following months of negotiating.
A ninth care home, Ada Belfield, is currently being marketed as a going concern with the council looking to transfer this care home to a provider with a proven track record and the council aims to offer it for lease and retain the building.
The lease would cover the whole site, including the care home and library, with the leaseholder required to sub-let the library back to the county council at no cost.
Following a meeting with community campaign group Belper Together, Mr Davies said he was "extremely concerned" the Reform-led County Council would allow Ada Belfield to meet the same fate as the other care homes.
He added: "I have worked closely with community campaigners to encourage the council to explore alternative methods of operation to secure the long-term future of the site.
"We also want to see Reform maintain community support beds at Ada Belfield, which they have sadly backtracked on since being elected."
The MP also called on the council to consider alternative options for the home's future if no buyer was found, such as not-for-profit models similar to the charity Sheffcare currently operating in Sheffield.
"This would keep the care homes in the community, run by the community, with profits reinvested back into their services," he added.
"My ask to Reform-led Derbyshire County Council is to learn the lessons of this failure, and look into these options if private companies are not viable.
"Ada Belfield in Belper is being marketed for sale, and residents do not want to see it closing because Reform repeat their mistakes."
Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for adult care, Councillor Joss Barnes, said Ada Belfield was part of their wider transformation programme and had been marketed as a going concern.
He said: "We’re committed to helping people in Derbyshire remain at home for as long as possible and with the right support they can.
"That’s why we’ve transformed our in-house care services to better support people to live independently in their communities - among their friends and family.
"By remodelling our services we’re supporting even more people to come out of hospital when they’re ready – cutting down on delayed discharges – as well as helping prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.
"We’ve also responded to the need for more specialist care for the growing number of people with dementia by creating specialist dementia care homes able to offer day and night breaks, which in turn support carers.
"Ada Belfield is a part of that transformation and is currently being marketed as a going concern. We’re seeking to transfer the care home to a provider with a proven track record.
"A commercial lease is being offered for the site which will not impact the running of the library. The library would be leased back at no cost to the council.
"The health and wellbeing of our residents, their families and friends is our top priority and we continue to support them, and our colleagues, at this difficult time.
"These changes are helping us create a sustainable care service for the future, able to help those who need us most."