CAMPAIGNERS who fought to save the former Bodlondeb care home have questioned council priorities for the future use of the site and want to know whether a deal has already been struck to sell the site.

Following the home’s closure in January, Ceredigion council is now considering how it can dispose of the facility, identifying three priority developments that would be supported by the council ahead of any options.

Those priorities are for a nursing home for elderly mentally infirm residents, a nursing home with residential care for dementia, and social housing accommodation for young people.

The council’s Cabinet was discussing the future of the site as the Cambrian News was going to press, but concerns have already been raised about the options with questions over whether the authority will be able to attract anyone to run a specialist care home at the site after previous efforts failed, and with concerns over the lack of information about any social housing.

George Holloway, of the Save Bodlondeb group, said the hopes of attracting a care home operator seemed unlikely, whilst there was little information about what social housing would entail.

He said: “The council offer three options for the disposal of Bodlondeb, two of which were options one and two of the unsuccessful attempt to sell Bodlondeb as a going concern. The failure to find a buyer was subsequently used as the justification for the closure of the home.

“As the council then went to great pains to portray Bodlondeb as a semi-derelict firetrap, inaccessible to vehicles and uneconomic to refurbish, it seems likely the council are really putting all their efforts into option three - single accommodation for young persons requiring social housing.

“The people of Penparcau have a right to know in advance what the phrase ‘young people requiring social housing’ means in this context and how the council can justify the sale of a building which doesn’t apparently lend itself to modernisation.”

A report put before the Cabinet said the priorities identified would meet a recognised need in the Aberystwyth area which is why they had been put forward.

It says: “As there is no other need for the building for other council services it is proposed to sell the building and land around it.

“The options for the sale of Bodlondeb have been given due consideration and have been prioritised as a result of the highlighted needs in the Aberystwyth area, that will be considered before other offers.

“With regard to fixtures and fittings it is suggested that we should give consideration to dispersal amongst the other local authority homes.

“In relation to bequests made over the years in gratitude for the care given, all these matters are being dealt with by Ceredigion County Council legal services team.”

See this week’s Aberystwyth editios for the full story, in shops and online now