CEREDIGION County Council is still pursuing the sale of the now vacant site of a 50-bed Penparcau care home - amid calls for it to be retained for use in social care.

Bodlondeb care home in Penparcau, which was the only council-run care home in the county, closed in 2018 despite a campaign to save it and criticism from residents.

The home had been caring for residents for more than 50 years but councillors decided it would be too costly to maintain and efforts to attract a private-sector social care buyer failed.

Unions, medical professionals and campaign groups all expressed fears that the loss of the home, which employed 33 people, would damage care provision in the region – many linking its closure to an increase in discharge delays often referred to as ‘bed-blocking’.

Secretary of the North Ceredigion Forum for Older People’s Care, Patricia Bates, said there is still some hope it will be brought back into use for the social care sector.

But it is thought to be being sold for use as social housing. The council has refused to disclose which offer is being considered and from whom. It has been on sale for at least three years.

It is being marketed for around £600,000 – a figure which has been criticised by residents as undervaluing the site.

“Bodlondeb has sadly been left to deteriorate - both before and since its closure,” Ms Bates said.

“So many people fought so hard to retain the site for our elderly in need of local residential care, many of whom are now being sent out of county for this care - with many divorced from their family as many spouses, children, friends are unable to travel so far to visit.

“As a member of Hywel Dda University Health Board (HDUHB) Community Health Council, I questioned the NHS representative attendee at our local meeting (open to the public) on the possibility of Bronglais Hospital acquiring Bodlondeb for patients fit to be discharged but with no residential or domestic care available for their specific needs.

“The meeting was informed that the refurbishment of Bodlondeb would cost millions of pounds to bring it up to NHS standard to house such hospital patients still in need of some care before returning home. The cost prohibits such a use.”

A council spokesperson said: “The council is pursuing the sale of the property in line with decisions taken in 2017 to discontinue services from that location and to subsequently dispose of the property in 2018 and 2020.

“The most relevant information can be viewed by looking at a report to cabinet in Feb 2020 and the notice of decisions that confirmed the position at cabinet on 17 March 2020.

“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 completed.”

Peter Skitt, Ceredigion County Director for HDUHB, said: “Ceredigion has a relatively low number of discharge delays and the close working between the local authority and the health board helps to keep this as low as possible.

“The use of specific sites for patients awaiting long term care is always considered as required, and the use of Regional Integrated Funds has led to helping this position.”