Members at New Tyne residential home for elderly people with dementia were let down by their employer and by county Councillors last Friday (21st November 2025), when Councillors rubber-stamped the closure of the home they work in.
This will inevitably have a massive detrimental impact on the residents who live there who will be moved to different homes, something known to be incredibly stressful and damaging to people with dementia.
UNISON members at New Tyne, over 90% of the staff employed, are fighting a valiant campaign that saw the original decision by the Cabinet member ‘called-in’. This meant it would be debated again by the Council. This is a rare event at WSCC so the members did very well to force this second debate.
2,500 petition presented
A petition of more than 2,500 people against the closure was also presented at the Council’s Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee (HASC). Branch Secretary Dan Sartin presented this on behalf of members, residents and their families and those who had signed the petition.
The 4 Conservatives on the Committee who were present (Councillors Cooper, McGregor, Ali and Patel) were clearly determined from the outset to see the closure through and were not for changing their minds under any circumstances. Disgracefully, the Conservative who represents the residents at New Tyne in his division, Noel Atkins, did not attend due to having another engagement, but let his views be known outside the meeting to other Conservatives that he was in favour of New Tyne closing.
The 1 Reform UK Councillor Markwell did not speak at all and abstained, content to let the Council close New Tyne but not wishing to express a view.
Councillors backing public services
The call-in was led by the Leader of the Labour Group, Chris Oxlade. Four councillors led the fight-back at HASC: James Walsh and Yvonne Gravely for the Lib Dems, Natalie Pudaloff for Labour, and Donna Johnson as a Green/Independent. Members are grateful to them for their efforts.
The vote was therefore tied at 4-4 so the Chair, Councillor Cooper, used her casting vote to condemn New Tyne to closure.
It was a sad day for local democracy as it proved itself inadequate to the task in front of it. Yet again, no Councillor or Council spokesperson would appear in front of the media, and the quality of the debate and understanding of Councillors who backed closure was lamentable.
Media coverage and debate
For the third time, BBC TV covered the events. You can watch their coverage back below.
You can also watch back Dan Sartin’s 5-minute speech presenting the petition at the start of the meeting here, and Dan Sartin’s 3-minute right of reply at the end of the debate here.
You can also read the local newspaper coverage in the Worthing Herald here.
New Tyne members are now considering their next steps.
