Elderly Mid Sussex pensioners will have to move more than six miles when their nursing home is shut.

Blackthorns is to be moved from its current location in Haywards Heath to a site in Burgess Hill.

West Sussex County Council said today that Shaw Healthcare (Homes) had been chosen to build a 60-bed complex in Southway, Burgess Hill, to replace Blackthorns.

The council plans to buy 54 beds for elderly residents, including 34 for elderly mentally infirm residents. The remaining six beds will be sold privately.

Building work is expected to start in February next year, with residents and staff moving to the new building in May 2005.

The move follows a six-month process by the council to pick a company for a £45 million investment in care homes in West Sussex.

Shaw will take over the running of the county's care homes from November 2003 on a 30-year lease.

The company will build ten new homes and refurbish one existing home.

A series of meetings for residents, relatives and staff as well as public meetings will be held in the next few months.

The public meetings will be chaired by Age Concern.

West Sussex county councillor Irene Richards said: "Something had to be done to improve the care home standards in West Sussex. But as always it's so easy to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

"Shaws have maybe been given too much leeway, so they can build the homes where they want. This decision will result in bigger care homes but there will be fewer of them.

"The best thing for the elderly is to go into care homes near their families and friends. They can then still go off on their own to their local churches and groups.

"Losing a home into another region may make sense financially but it doesn't necessarily make a lot of elderly people very happy."

West Sussex County Council cabinet member for social and caring services Mark Dunn said: "There will obviously be some concerns from relatives and their families and we want to give everyone the chance to raise them.

"Wherever possible we will try to keep residents with the friendship groups they have developed within the homes. The staff they are familiar with will also move with them where possible."