Today (Friday) is expected to be D-Day for a Royal British Legion care home in Rhayader, which has been threatened with closure.
The Board of Trustees of the Royal British Legion met yesterday to consider a wide-ranging report and submissions on the future of Crosfield House, its care home in Rhayader. Residents, relatives and staff will be told of the Board’s decision at private meetings at the home today, and a press conference will be held at Rhayader Leisure Centre at 2pm.
The report, which was commissioned in October 2007, brings together the results of some nine months’ worth of discussions with Powys County Council, MPs and other parties – and, most recently, with the staff, residents and families at the home.
The report also contains recommendations from the specialist consultancy, Pinders, who were asked to undertake an independent assessment of the home.
A spokesman said: “At no point has this consultation been about closure of Crosfield House. The Legion has consistently stated that it will maintain a home in Wales and has always been absolutely clear that it has made provision in its financial plans to invest around £5m for this purpose.”
Tension will be high as the only Royal British Legion home in Wales currently cares for about 50 residents, who would have to be transferred to new homes and its closure would result in the loss of about 90 jobs.
But there has been renewed hope that a solution could be found to save the home at the last moment after a ‘constructive’ meeting in London between the RBL’s leaders and Powys County Council’s chief executive Mark Kerr, Board chairman Councillor Michael Jones, the executive director of people and wellbeing, Phil Robson, and local councillor David Evans.
They met the Legion’s director general Chris Simpkins last Thursday and he told them the Legion had identified ways with Powys County Council to possibly “improve and develop the range of services”.
• Continued on Page 3 of the Mid Wales Journal available now for just 40p.
