PENPARCAU residents are demanding answers over the future of a much-loved care home that Ceredigion County Council closed in 2018.

Penparcau county councillor Carl Worrall and retired police officer and former Bodlondeb caretaker Dai Thomas met at the site of the now-closed care home in Penparcau to demand answers on the future of the imposing building in the centre of the village.

The 50-bed care home was closed by Ceredigion County Council in 2018 and Cllr Worrall says it’s the one thing he gets asked about on a daily basis in the village – what are they (the council) doing with Bodlondeb.

This point was proven when the Cambrian went to meet the two men at the site this week and a passer-by asked exactly that, adding ‘they should never have closed it, we need this.’

There is much anger in the village at the way the home was closed and the perceived secrecy about its future ever since.

Mr Thomas said: “There is a lot of anger in the village over the closure of Bodlondeb – it should never have happened. We need to know what is going on.

“There is a desperate need for care in north Ceredigion.

“I worked here for 17 years as a caretaker and the building is still structurally sound.

“If they try and knock Bodlondeb down it, it will be like the King’s Hall all over again.

“It’s a scandal and we need an inquiry into why the home was closed in the first place and any sale of the building and land.

“As private homes have closed in Ceredigion in recent years, does the council think there is no need for residential care?

“Before the building closed, inspectors deemed the rooms to be too small, but when I questioned them, they didn’t take into account the room taken up by fitted wardrobes in each room, which if removed, would make the rooms big enough.

“I still don’t understand why Plascrug Leisure Centre was used as a field hospital during the pandemic when it would have taken much less work to convert Bodlondeb.”

Speaking of his time working in Bodlondeb, Mr Thomas added: “It was a great place for residents and staff.

“I remember, with help from the Friends of Bodlondeb volunteers, I used to take residents out on day trips every Friday. Giving them a break from their rooms. A lot of money was spent on the building.”

Penparcau county councillor Carl Worrall also spoke of his frustration over the closure of Bodlondeb and the silence over its future ever since.

He said: “I get asked daily about Bodlondeb.

“I want it back as a care home. It is needed in north Ceredigion and the council needs to rethink its position.

“If the building is sold as seems to be the case, the money needs to go back into social care for the elderly here in north Ceredigion. There is such a lack of beds and the problem is only going to get worse.”

Ceredigion MS Elin Jones echoed concerns, by saying: “Bodlondeb has remained empty for too long and the council needs to urgently confirm its future use .

“North Ceredigion is in desperate need for dementia nursing beds, and although a council is prohibited from directly providing nursing beds, both council and health board need to work together to plan for such beds.

“This could be in Bodlondeb or elsewhere in the location. However, as we know, the care sector is in a difficult economic situation with labour shortages and cost uncertainties.

“Where the private sector is failing to supply, as it is in Ceredigion, then the public sector needs to step in.”

Patricia Bates, secretary of the North Ceredigion Forum For Older People’s Care agreed that concern is growing over the sale of the property after remaining closed and unsold for over five years since January 2018.

She said: “North Ceredigion residents are expressing concern over the finance being found from their taxes for new builds in the south of the county such as Cylch Caron, Tregaron ongoing since March 2016, without a single brick being laid and other south new-builds in Aberaeron and Cardigan now operating for residential care yet closure of Bodlondeb a residential Home in the ideal spot for local north of county residents.

“There being inadequate residential care for those in need in the north of the county with private residential homes also being closed has resulted in the cruel loss of family unity with ‘out of county’ care so many miles away for so many being seen as divorce - separation of loved ones by distance which could, and should be corrected by the reinstatement of the ideally situated Bodlondeb Residential Home, Penparcau at whatever cost.”

Ceredigion County Council said in response to the concerns raised: “The situation remains the same. There has been interest and offers from a number of parties for the site. The council is following up the potential sale to one of those interested parties. The council will not disclose the name of any party until a sale has been completed.”