Edinburgh City Council has said it is closing two care homes which are no longer fit for purpose.

Clovenstone and Ford’s Road provide residential care for 68 residents.

Chief officer of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, Pat Togher, said: “We are committed to updating our care home stock to make sure it is fit for purpose and allows us to provide the high-quality care that the people of Edinburgh deserve.

“We know that the communities who make up our care homes are more than the bricks and mortar and that Clovenstone and Ford’s Road care homes provide excellent care for their residents, as recognised in Care Inspectorate reports.  However these buildings are not designed to meet the growing need for nursing care and we must adapt to fit the changing needs of the people of Edinburgh.

“We are to committed to fully engaging  with all staff, residents and their loved ones to ensure the right decision is made and that people have a placement which suits their needs.”

The council said it was seeing highest demand for nursing and dementia care home beds that could only be provided in larger care homes with registered nurses on site.