AN old folk's home at Royston is for sale but one of the conditions is that the buyer must be a firm which wants to provide care services for the elderly.

Unless such a buyer comes forward before May, the council-owned Oakwood home will be auctioned with no restrictions.

Another council owned care home, Green Park House in Penistone, will also be sold but must be used for residential care services for older people.

A report by the council claims Oakwood will be too expensive to convert to other council uses and that maintenance costs will also be high.

A previous review of older people's services showed the home did not meet the public's perception of its role as 'community resources' and the report states that alternative resources were available for people who needed them.

It says businesses would not be able to move into the property as too much work would have to be done to bring it up to standard.

The report states: "The Royston area is considered well served by accessible alternative older persons' care facilities."

But the closure, which was proposed three years ago, was strongly objected to by people in the area and the tenants and residents' association fought to keep it twice in the space of two years.

Thousands signed petitions and Labour councillors joined the opposition but it was not enough.