Local event to showcase plans for new Ferndale care accommodation

A public exhibition and ‘drop-in’ event will take place in Ferndale on March 5, for the community to find out more and ask questions about the modernResidential Dementia Care Home that the Council is committed to delivering.

The event will be hosted by the appointed planning consultant for the project, LRM Planning – with Council officers also attending to support. It will take place at Ferndale Community School on Wednesday, March 5, from 3.30pm to 7pm. Everyone is welcome to attend at any point during the event.

The Council is committed to delivering the 32-bed home, which will be a first-class facility for specialist dementia care to replace the current Ferndale House care home on Station Road.

This newly built care home will benefit from a purpose-built design and modern facilities likesensory rooms – plus an established and committed workforce from the current setting thatwill, alongside its residents, transfer to the new site once the development is complete. The new accommodation will be built at the former ‘Chubb’ Factory site in Ferndale, near the new primary school. Initial groundworks and surveys are already progressing.

The upcoming public exhibition and ‘drop-in’ event is part of the planning process, and will present afirst opportunity for residents to find out more about the scheme, view initial project designs, and ask any questions. LRM Planning will be writing to local residents shortly, with an invitation to attend.

Following the event, there will a formal opportunity for residents to have their say in a Pre-Application Consultation in spring 2025, to help shape the plans. This will inform a final planning submission currently aiming for summer 2025.

Councillor Gareth Caple, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said:

“The upcoming public exhibition is the first opportunity for the community in Ferndale to see initial plans for their modern care accommodation, focusing on dementia care. The Council has made it clear it is absolutely committed to delivering this project in Ferndale, which will build a first-class environment for care in a multi-million pound development.

“We’ve got a great recent track record of delivering modern care accommodation, including the development of state-of-the-art Extra Care housing schemes have been built in Graig and Aberaman, establishing themselves as popular hubs in the community. We’re currently building a third Extra Care scheme in Porth, and a specialist care accommodation in Gelli. Future commitments are also made for an Extra Care and dementia care accommodation in Mountain Ash, and an accommodation for people with learning disabilities in adulthood in Church Village.

“I’d urge everyone interested in finding out more about the Ferndale project to attend the public exhibition on March 5. There is no need to make a prior booking, and you can visit at any time between 3.30pm and 7pm. I’m looking forward to attending myself, to discover more about this exciting investment.”