A CEREDIGION County Council underspend on its capital projects proves money is available to keep the Bodlondeb care home in Penparcau open, it was claimed this week.

The council’s draft statement of accounts for the 2016-17 financial year reveal that it spent £4.45m less than it had budgeted for capital expenditure — money spent by the council on acquiring or maintaining fixed assets such as land, buildings and property.

The money included £417,000 not spent on a houses into homes loan scheme and £665,000 not spent on coastal protection schemes.

Dinah Mulholland, former Labour Party candidate for Ceredigion, said: “The council’s fluid and relaxed attitude to their underspend, and their cash reserves of £27m, suggest that there is no immediate financial case for closing Bodlondeb Care Home.

“In fact there appears to be £4.5m of capital spend available.

“When they were questioned at the Bodlondeb consultation meeting on 17 July, Ceredigion County Council made a public admission that their capital spend on Bodlondeb has diminished radically each year for several years, resulting in a paltry £4,000 of investment last year.

“This admission and the revelation of the administration’s capital underspend reveal the council’s true priorities."

The council said the underspent money, which is earmarked for various schemes, will roll over into this financial year.

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