A MAJOR redevelopment at Chirk Court will not threaten residential provisions in the town, those behind the scheme have said.
Graham Worthington, chief executive of Pennaf Housing Group, which runs the home through the Clwyd Alun Housing Association, says an approved application to demolish the exsiting single-storey 30-bedroom residential care home on Maes-Y-Waun and construct a 72-bedroom elderly mentally infirm (EMI) nursing facility in its place, will still include a residential pod for ten people.
His comments come after councillors in the town and Ceiriog Valley voiced concerns saying the changes will be detrimental to residents, as well as putting extra pressure on the town’s community hospital.
The proposal was refused by Wrexham County Borough Council’s Planning Committee in July 2011 due to lack of parking spaces, but granted on appeal in December that year. It is due to go before the council’s Executive Board next month.
Mr Worthington told the Advertizer: “The majority will be for EMI, but we did give a commitment for Wrexham [CBC] that there will be a ten-bed very dependent elderly unit.”
He also said bringing EMI to Chirk was necessary as the demand for residential beds is decreasing, adding: “There is a vast shortage of it [EMI care] with a growing elderly population.”
But councillor for Chirk South, Terry Evans, said he feared the changes would ultimately result in the loss of residential care in the town.
His views are backed by Chirk North representative, Ian Roberts, who added: “We believe an EMI unit is an asset to Chirk, but the removal of residential is detrimental to the whole of Chirk and the Ceiriog Valley.”