Progress update – Pontypridd sheltered accommodation scheme in Graig
The Council has provided an update on construction of the Pontypridd Extra Care scheme in Graig – with groundworks well underway and the construction of the main building to begin in the New Year.
In partnership with Linc Cymru, the Council is building a 60-bed Extra Care facility on the former Pontypridd Magistrates’ Court site. The scheme received planning permission in February 2019 and construction began on site in June.
The Council is currently consulting residents on its preferred option for future residential care services, which would see the Council continue to lead on delivering care locally. Seven Council-run homes are proposed to be retained to focus on complex care – geographically placed to meet the needs of local communities, alongside the delivery of the five new Extra Care facilities.
The consultation ends on December 20, and the public can view consultation documents online, complete a survey and attend the remaining public events at Llantrisant Leisure Centre and Sobell Leisure Centre, Aberdare (November 19 and 21). Details can be found here: www.rctcbc.gov.uk/consultations.
Progress at the Pontypridd Extra Care site has so far been focused on establishing the groundworks for the scheme. The stormwater diversion is almost complete, along with the drainage works to the ordinary watercourse.
Construction of a temporary retaining wall is complete, and work to build a new retaining wall has started. The building’s foundations and underground drainage work has commenced – and will be completed during December 2019. This will be followed by works to construct the building’s concrete frame, with the lightweight steel frame programmed to start in the New Year.
Councillor Geraint Hopkins, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Adult Services, said: “We are currently consulting on proposals for the future of local residential care services – with Extra Care an important aspect of our modernisation aims, to better meet the expectations of older people. I’d urge residents to have their say in the consultation by accessing information on the Council’s website, completing an online survey and by visiting one of the remaining public ‘drop-in’ events.
“Brand new facilities planned for Treorchy, Pontypridd, Aberaman, Mountain Ash and Porth – along with the existing Ty Heulog facility in Talbot Green – will bring the number of Extra Care beds in Rhondda Cynon Taf up to 300.
“Extra Care creates a community within each building, while residents are helped to live independently for as long as possible, through 24/7 on-site support for their assessed needs. The Pontypridd scheme will contain a number of on-site facilities – including communal landscaped gardens, dining areas, a communal kitchen, lounge areas and a hair salon.
“Works on site in Pontypridd began this summer, and important progress has been made with the ground and drainage works – to enable construction of the main building to start during the New Year. I look forward to seeing further progress made on this important scheme in the coming weeks and months.”
