**Ambitious Plans Unveiled for New Care Home in Ferndale Amid Ongoing Community Campaign**
A significant development has emerged in the ongoing contest to maintain vital care facilities in the heart of Rhondda Fach, as Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has submitted detailed plans for a brand-new 32-bed care home in Ferndale. Residents and campaigners, who have fought passionately to keep local care provision alive, have closely watched every twist in this saga, and this latest proposal signals a new chapter for elderly care in the region.
The planned new facility, to be named Llyn y Forwyn, is designed to replace the much-criticised and currently outdated Ferndale House care home. The intended site is the former Chubb Fire Factory, located within the Ferndale Industrial Estate. Measuring roughly 1.23 hectares, this plot sits on the estate’s eastern edge and has stood unoccupied for approximately two decades. The land’s most recent function was as a compound to support construction at the neighbouring school, a project finished early in 2025.
According to the council’s design and access statement submitted with the application, the new care home will consist of four clusters of eight private rooms, grouped to enable highly personalised care. The plans also include dedicated staff facilities aimed at supporting an attentive, resident-focussed environment. In addition, a variety of communal spaces, such as lounges, dining areas and kitchen facilities, have been incorporated, promising a modern and comfortable setting for future residents.
This proposal brings hope to the Ferndale community, which has fought determinedly against the closure of their local home. Concerns about relocation have been rife amongst residents’ families, with many fearing that forced moves could have a detrimental impact on some of the area’s most vulnerable people. The council, seemingly aware of these sensitivities, has assured that current Ferndale House occupants will only be expected to relocate once the new facility is fully operational. In the meantime, the existing care home will remain open, minimising disruption for long-term residents.
Central to the council’s argument is the status of the site as a “brownfield” area – land that has previously been developed but is now vacant and under-used. With employment opportunities in this particular patch of the industrial estate reportedly limited, officials see the care home as a practical way to bring the site back to meaningful use. There is also precedent for non-industrial development on this parcel, as previous applications for alternative projects such as a new school and a substantial housing development were both deemed acceptable in principle by the local planning authority.
Notably, while the proposal for a 174-home residential scheme on the site was ultimately withdrawn when the council acquired the land, planning officers had already recommended the scheme’s approval, arguing its community benefits outweighed the continuing need to safeguard the area as purely employment space. The momentum now seems firmly behind essential community services rather than industrial use.
The Llyn y Forwyn care home is set to be a self-contained unit with supporting amenities including administrative offices, catering facilities, laundry spaces and landscaped outdoor areas. Sustainable drainage and car parking provision have also been factored in to ensure the new building will be fit-for-purpose for years to come.
Local reactions so far have been cautiously optimistic, reflecting relief at the prospect of ongoing care provision but also a keen desire to see promises translated into tangible improvements. For those who have campaigned to save Ferndale’s care home from closure, the new plans are being scrutinised for their ability to deliver on decades-old community needs.
As Rhondda Cynon Taf’s population grows and ages, the debate over local social care facilities has become emblematic of wider challenges facing communities across Wales. This latest proposed investment in Ferndale may offer a model of modern care, but its ultimate success will be watched carefully by both residents and campaigners eager to see a brighter, more secure future for their loved ones.