PLANS for a new 32-bed care home in the Rhondda Fach have been revealed.
Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) Council has submitted plans for the new Llyn y Forwyn care home on the site of the former Chubb Fire Factory within Ferndale Industrial Estate.
It would be organised into four clusters of eight rooms to support personalised care with staff facilities on site.
The design and access statement submitted with the application says that the site measures 1.23 hectares, is located on the eastern edge of the industrial estate and has been vacant for around 20 years.
The most recent use of the site was as a compound for the neighbouring school which was completed in January 2025.
It also says that the proposals bring the brownfield site back into use through provision of a much-needed care home.
The statement says it will “significantly improve upon the existing Ferndale House care home which is not fit for purpose and in a very poor condition.”
It adds that the site will be “an attractive addition and provide much-needed care accommodation that integrates positively into the local area.”
Residents of the existing care home will be able to move into the new facility when it is completed and the existing care facility will remain open until its replacement is completed, according to the design and access statement.
It also says: “The site has been vacant for circa 20 years and the demand for employment related use in this area is evidently low.
“It must also be highlighted that the planning history of the site confirms that the local planning authority previously accepted alternative, non-employment related uses on the former factory.”
It says that the new school was considered an acceptable alternative to employment use and that plans for 174 homes confirm that officers considered the benefits associated with that development outweighed the need to protect the employment allocation.
Although plans for the 174 homes were withdrawn before a decision was made due to the council acquiring the land, the report confirms that planning officers recommended approval for the application and stated that the principle of the proposed development was considered acceptable.
The plans for the 32-bed care home also include associated facilities, including office spaces, dining areas, kitchen, laundry and other facilities as well as associated works such as landscaping, car parking, and sustainable drainage.
