Work is continuing to bring a community care and housing scheme to Tregaron despite the project being suspended last year over finance issues.

Ceredigion County Council and Hywel Dda University Health Board, along with the Welsh Government, said they “remain deeply committed” to the delivery of an Integrated Resource Centre in Tregaron to be a hub for local health and social care services, alongside quality accessible affordable homes.

The Cylch Caron scheme has been a long-held ambition, with the project’s outline plan - agreed two years ago - scuppered last year over whether it was financially viable due to the cost and affordability of the housing element of the project.

It has been announced this week that a working group of health board and council officers are now reviewing and updating the business case while the tender to identify a new delivery partner is being prepared.

Project board chair Peter Skitt said on behalf of all partners: “Work is going on behind the scenes on the Cylch Caron scheme between committed partners for an integrated, social model for health.

“We are refocusing on an achievable solution for the community in Tregaron and the surrounding area.”

The long-mooted project was suspended just before Christmas last year after Barcud housing association said it was “not possible to achieve a financially viable scheme on the current proposed site.”

The project was due to deliver a single site GP surgery, community pharmacy, outpatient clinics, community nursing and social care facilities, as well as extra care housing.

The partners said in December that “despite considerable effort in recent months to consider alternative size and design options, it has not been possible to deliver a proposed extra care scheme for Tregaron which is financially viable within the available capital and revenue finance.”

Mr Skitt said at the time the suspension of the scheme was “deeply regrettable”, but “a necessary step now so that we can all re-focus on an achievable solution for the community in Tregaron and the surrounding area.”

“The council and health board will make urgent assessments as to any interim solutions which may need to be implemented as we build a long term plan,” the project board said.

Eifion Evans, Ceredigion County Council chief executive and Steve Moore, chief executive of Hywel Dda both said they remain committed to the scheme, and now the project board will launch a new search for a partner to “explore other ways of delivering these services and facilities”.

The partnership project are now currently arranging a Bidder Engagement Event to be held in October to start the process of attracting a new delivery partner to work on the scheme.

The formal tender process will commence shortly after the event.