THE specialist partners which could help develop a 'flagship' project in Worle have been whittled down to the final few. North Somerset Council wants to transform Ebdon Court, including Poppyfields Care Home, into a centre of excellence for dementia suffe

THE specialist partners which could help develop a 'flagship' project in Worle have been whittled down to the final few.North Somerset Council wants to transform Ebdon Court, including Poppyfields Care Home, into a centre of excellence for dementia sufferers.A selection panel was set up to identify the right company to help make-over the site in Trenleigh Drive, which could include putting in a nursing home, day centre, housing for dementia sufferers, a resource centre and intermediate care beds for people who have come out of hospital and are not well enough to go home.Nine expressions of interest were received by the closing date of January 3 and the the three highest scoring organisations, Brunelcare, Apects & Milestones and Housing 21, have now been short-listed for the next stage.They will now be asked to submit their outline solutions for the development, which will lead to further short-listing.A review committee, which includes representatives from the health sector and carers, has been put together by North Somerset Council. It has produced a set of reports making suggestions as to what could go on the Ebdon Court site and has given them to the local authority. The contract is expected to be awarded in November.Poppyfields was saved after campaigns were launched in 2005 against its closure.Families and carers of elderly people with mental illnesses were told before Christmas 2004 that it was being considered for closure because North Somerset Council said it was footing the bill for people living in care homes, something previously paid for by the Government. But instead North Somerset councillors voted to turn the site into a 'flagship' development.