An eleventh hour bid is being launched to save an historic rest home from closure.

Frantic behind-the-scenes negotiations mean the French Convalescent Home will not close in April as planned. Instead, the closure has been set back a month as the home's managers launch a bid to take over the running of the site by setting up a charitable trust.

The building in De Courcel Road, Kemp Town, is in the process of being sold by its trustees to Bovis Retirement Homes. The developers had originally planned to knock down the building after its closure by the trustees and put up sheltered apartments. The scheme was scuppered last month when the 101-year-old building was listed by the Government.

MP Des Turner is now negotiating with the trustees and Bovis to see if a charitable trust, set up by the home's present manager, Catherine Gennaro, could take over the running of the site. The trust would buy the building and establish training courses for care workers and outreach services in the community to pay for its running costs. The building could cost up to £750,000 while annual running costs are around £500,000.

Mrs Gennaro said three trustees, who she did not want to name, had been appointed and she was in the process of setting up the trust. She said: "Setting up a charity has always been at the back of my mind. We would like to make Bovis an offer for the building but it will take us time to raise the money. I have already asked three people if they will agree to be trustees and they have accepted."

She also planned to approach organisations in Sussex to see if they would agree to pledge money to buy the building and pay for its upkeep.

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