RENOVATION and refurbishment costs for closure-threatened Bodlondeb care home in Aberystwyth are estimated at over £3m, the Cambrian News can reveal.

At a meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s healthier communities scrutiny committee today, Ceredigion’s director of social services warned that renovation was too expensive and the closure of the home was the most realistic outcome.

A consultation into the potential closure of the home is due to be launched over the next few weeks.

Ceredigion County Council Cabinet members are expected to back a recommendation from the scrutiny committee that the consultation should take place over a 12-week period, rather than the usual with weeks.

Councillors on the scrutiny committee insisted today that an eight-week consultation was not long enough, especially over the summer period.

They were told that renovation and refurbishment costs to bring the home up to regulatory standards were estimated to be just over £3m.

This compared to a potential new-build replacement cost of around £3.1m.

Sue Darnbrook, the strategic director for social services, said the authority could not let the home continue as it is.

She said: “There’s no way this home can continue as it is because of the changing regulations and the voids (vacant beds) situation.”

Mrs Darnbrook said it was unlikely the council would be able to find the capital funding to pay for an extensive refurbishment which would be required, nor for the building of a replacement home.