The cost of bringing council-owned old peoples' homes up to modern standards could have been exaggerated, opposition councillors claim.

Conservative-run East Sussex County Council yesterday voted to review the future of all its 14 homes, which could lead to their closure.

The council estimates it would need to spend £9 million to modernise the homes to meet tough new Government standards that become law next year.

But the Lib Dems have claimed that price tag was too high and could cloud the outcome of the review.

Social services spokesman David Neighbour told the council's ruling cabinet the homes should be handed to private operators as going concerns rather than closed.

He said: "I found £9 million could well be an exaggeration of the true cost and that could warp the thinking of the review."

Keith Glazier, Cabinet councillor responsible for social services, denied the estimate was too high.

He said: "These are not closure consultations, they are consultations on the future of our homes and all the options will be considered."

The result of the first review, into Mount Denys, Hastings, is expected in April, and the last, Hookstead in Crowborough, in July 2003.

Two homes - Parker House, Eastbourne, and Haldane House, Bexhill - cannot be upgraded and their future is already being investigated.

The homes house 95 long-term residents and another 155 short-stay residents. The council employs 480 workers in the homes.

Trade unions said the review was being spread out during 18 months so the homes could be closed one by one.

Tony Watson, East Sussex secretary of public sector workers' union Unison, said: "It is just an excuse to spread it out while they build the private sector up. I am convinced that is what they are doing.

"If they could have got everybody into the private sector in one go I think they would have done it in one go."