Madam,

We elect our councillors whom we believe have the ability to ensure that out council tax is spent on the necessary provision of services, firstly for those most in need and also for other essential services. The closing and demolition of Bodlondeb Residential Home, Penparcau, Aberystwyth will be seen as a ‘failure’ on their part.

Sound careful financial management of our council tax and expertise in obtaining grants for such as refurbishment of this first-class home would be considered a ‘success’ by our councillors on our behalf.

There is so much more to be considered on any decision to do with this threatened closure. There is the serious question as to why a few councillors on the Cabinet, overseen by the scrutiny sub-committees, are making decisions and not all of our county councillors?

We are all aware of those individual councillors intent on closing Bodlondeb based on the cost of refurbishment, as quoted in their public meeting. Then there are some councillors following their own political party dictate, as the easy option, and ignoring what is in the best interest of the electorate. It is based on a present lack of finance only.

Social services chiefs are saying that “we are trying to fill vacant spaces”. Has any thought been given to some diversification such as providing short-term accommodation for those described as ‘bed blocking’ in our hospitals. There are many awaiting domiciliary care due to a lack of carers.

Why did Care and Repair move from their convenient public offices in Bodlondeb to Cefn Llan Science Park, with loss of rental income? Cannot pressure be once again put on the Welsh Government to allow Social Services to employ nurses in selected suitable care homes such as Bodlondeb?

Our MP Ben Lake, AM Elin Jones and former MP Mark Williams and many of our well-respected, long-standing, cross-party councillors are not supporting the closure of Bodlondeb and see the folly of such closure.

Mr Lake and Ms Jones have written to the Welsh Government’s Minister for Social Services warning that “Aberystwyth is being threatened with the loss of a highly valued asset for the community” and insisting that more must be done to ensure council-run care homes are viable - as reported in last week’s edition of the Cambrian News.

Elin Jones AM also reflects my thoughts with her sound common sense - as once again written in the Cambrian News - where she says: “If this is a situation where we just about change the council’s mind, we’ll be back here in three years. We need to have a plan of the future of care.”

I personally believe that what should also be taken into account for future demand is that the days of there being seven, eight, nine or more children to look after aged parents have gone.

Children have also moved away for work and the retirement age is creeping up to nearly 70 years of age, when many will be in need of care themselves.

People are living longer and, yes, want to stay in their homes as long as possible with family and or domiciliary care, but the demand for residential care will drastically increase in the near future when domiciliary care is sadly no longer an option for their condition. Residents must let Ceredigion councillors know that they are opposed to closure of Bodlondeb.

Yours etc,

Pat Bates, Penparcau, Aberystwyth.

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