Cyngor Gwynedd plans for a nursing care home a step closer

Plans to provide nursing and residential care on the Llŷn Peninsula are a step closer, after Cyngor Gwynedd secured a grant from the Welsh Government to move the project forward.

Cyngor Gwynedd, working in partnership with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), is developing a multi-million-pound project at Penrhos near Pwllheli which will not only provide much needed nursing care for the people in the Llŷn and Eifionydd areas, but also give an economic boost by securing a number of skilled, long-term jobs. The new care home replaces and expands on what was provided previously on this site.

The Welsh Government has now confirmed that funding from the Integration and Rebalancing Capital Fund will be made available which will allow Cyngor Gwynedd and BCUHB to develop a comprehensive outline business case and a fully detailed plan for the new nursing and residential care home.

This news is a significant step forward for the ambitious project, and a formal planning application will be submitted in due course before a further bid for funding from Welsh Government to construct the home will be made. Once completed, the new home is set to accommodate 32 residential dementia beds as well as 24 nursing beds, of which a large proportion would be prioritised for nursing dementia care.

Two acres of land at Penrhos – the site of what is currently known as the Penrhos Polish Village – was transferred to the Council by the ClwydAlyn housing association for the purpose of building a new care home. It will be developed in tandem with plans by ClwydAlyn to develop high quality, low carbon homes with health and care provisions on the same site.

The housing development will mainly provide homes for people with care and support needs, including current residents of the Penrhos Polish Village. It will also provide some affordable housing for local people.

Councillor Dilwyn Morgan, Cyngor Gwynedd’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Adult’s, Health and Wellbeing Department, said: ““I am delighted that we as a Council are able to work with our partners from the health and housing sectors on this ambitious project.

“Unfortunately, there is a shortage of nursing home spaces across the county, which is more acute in the Llŷn area with no provision of publicly funded spaces at all and our hope is that this this not-for-profit solution can rebalance the residential and nursing care service locally and provide more choice.

“At the moment, too many people are having to move far away from their families and all that they know, when they are at their most vulnerable. This grant funding from Welsh Government is taking us a step closer to creating more resilience in the care system and ensuring people have access to Welsh-language care services within their own community.

“This development will undoubtedly provide the Pwllheli area with a much-needed economic boost. Once the building phase is complete, and the home is up-and-running, I am confident that we can make the most of our Welsh-speaking local workforce as skilled employment and career progression opportunities will be available.”

Chair of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Dyfed Edwards said: “We are delighted to be working with Cyngor Gwynedd on this exciting and innovative project to increase residential and nursing care home capacity on the Llŷn Peninsula. It is really important that we can give more options to local people so that they can receive care closer to their home and families and the proposed development will help us achieve this.”

Craig Sparrow, ClwydAlyn's Executive Director of Development, said:“We are proud to play a key role in this transformative project which will see Penrhos become a community hub. By working closely with our partners, we are not only addressing urgent care needs in the area but also fostering a supportive environment for residents.

“This development embodies our commitment to building not just homes, but communities that support wellbeing and quality of life for all, while also providing high-quality, sustainable housing and care solutions.”