Madam,

The headlines on the letters page of the 9 November editions of the Cambrian News sum up the feelings of local residents.

I quote: To remove Bodlondeb without an appropriate alternative is reckless (George Holloway); Council has failed to recognise need for a vision of adult social care across county (Mark Williams); Wilful destruction of Bodlondeb is a sacrilege (Geraldine Taylor). Each of the three letters spell out in no uncertain terms the valid reasons for retaining Bodlondeb Residential Home, Penparcau, Aberystwyth, which Ceredigion County Council Cabinet members have chosen to ignore against the overwhelming majority wishes of the council taxpayers by voting to close and not retain.

Bodlondeb Residential Home is a ‘sound’ building situated in a most convenient position with great views for residents from most windows. There are frequent bus service, with a stop near Bodlondeb’s front door for visitors. Bodlondeb only requires a rolling programme of refurbishment over the next few years to bring it up to current legislative standard. There will be generous Welsh Assembly grants available in 2018 which our county council could make application for. The exaggerated cost of refurbishment is being questioned by qualified members of the Save Bodlondeb Steering Committee, especially as no formal tenders have been commissioned.

One reason given for closure by the Cabinet of eight county councillors is that the number of residents has fallen recently. This reason requires investigation as to why and should have been established before this decision on closure was made. So many local residents have their own theories on this closure which do not tally with those given on refurbishment cost and the falling number of residents.

As I have said, on your letters page previously, it is a courageous group that can ignore the advice and wishes of not only the thousands of its residents but that of our learned Lord Elystan Morgan who braved a cold November day at 85 years old to complete the Save Bodlondeb march, ending in Owain GlyndWr Square, where he was elevated and supported by his son Owain and retired councillor Elwyn Williams onto a bench in the square where he gave a stirring speech on not only the folly of closure but the legal action that could follow any vote on closure.

There is no doubt that the responsibility of Ceredigion County Council’s social services department for our ageing population is a great demand but, and a big but, we do not expect our elected councillors and highly-paid officials to cut services for our children, disabled or elderly and infirm, and hope that the decision to close Bodlondeb in March 2018 will be reversed and some thought put into diversification with additional services in Bodlondeb to make it cost-effective for many years to come, with regular maintenance.

I am assured by local residents that they will remember the effort and actions of their ward representative to retain Bodlondeb when asked for their vote in the future.

Yours etc,

Pat Bates, Penparcau, Aberystwyth.

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