Agenda item

To present the report of the Head of Adults’ Services.

The report of the Head of Adults’ Services incorporating a summary of the feedback from the engagement process and final recommendations with regard to the proposed development of an Extra Care Housing Scheme on the Ysgol Beaumaris school site in the Seiriol area was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The report provided a synopsis of the comments made at the public meeting held in Llangoed on 15th January, 2018 and the Council’s response to the issues raised, along with the Site Selection Report by the Authority’s Senior Valuation Officer and feedback from an on-line questionnaire.

The Leader and Portfolio Member for Social Services said that a commitment was made in 2015 to develop Extra Care provision in the Seiriol area; the Ysgol Beaumaris site was subsequently identified as the most suitable site for the development both in terms of the residents of Seiriol and more broadly for the South of the Island. Both the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and the Executive supported holding a period of engagement locally within the Seiriol ward on the proposal and specifically, the location of the proposed scheme. This process took place during November and December, 2017 and entailed meetings with the local town and community councils, drop-in sessions, an on-line survey and a public meeting. The Portfolio Member said that the responses to the proposal were mixed and whilst there is general support for Extra Care Housing (ECH) as a form of provision there is disagreement as regards the best location for an ECH development in Seiriol as well as concerns about the impact of the proposed scheme on the future of the Haulfre Residential Home.

The Head of Adults’ Services gave a visual presentation to the Committee based on the presentation made to the town and community councils and to the public meeting held at Llangoed on 15th January, 2018. The presentation addressed the following matters –

•           The evidence in support of extra care compared to residential care. Extra care supports an independent life and higher quality living and is generally cheaper for residents and more cost-effective for local authorities.

•           The key features of Extra Care Housing.

•           Extra Care provision on Anglesey in the form of the established Extra Care Scheme in Penucheldre, Holyhead and the planned development at Hafan Cefni, Llangefni which is scheduled to open in the summer, 2018.

•           The sites considered for the Extra Care scheme in South Anglesey (an area encompassing Seiriol) and their ranking following evaluation and scoring for suitability.

•           The two favoured options (Beaumaris Day Care Centre and Ysgol Beaumaris) which are both on the site of Ysgol Beaumaris. These are considered preferable because of their accessibility to the town and amenities of Beaumaris; because of their centrality within the Seiriol Ward and because there is enough space to develop the scheme behind the school if it were to remain as a school.

•           The proposed 3rd floor model for the development in Beaumaris images of which were shown, as well as an example of a typical Extra Care Housing apartment

•           Feedback from the engagement process which can be summarised as follows:

•           General agreement with the concept of Extra Care Housing but not with the school site as the best location;

•           Much support for the utilisation of the Haulfre site with many respondents believing that the residential home is still needed and that the ECH development should also be on the Haulfre site.

•           Opposition by the community to the possible closure of Ysgol Beaumaris as well as to the school site as the preferred site for the ECH development mainly due to the location on top of a steep hill.

•           Cwm Cadnant Community Council did favour the development of an ECH facility in Beaumaris but not necessarily the school site as the preferred option, stating that other options in Beaumaris should also be considered.

The Head of Adults’ Services also showed a short video clip of the amenities available at the recently opened Cae Garnedd ECH facility in Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor along with testimony provided by some of the residents, families and staff of the benefits which living at the facility has brought them. The Officer said that whilst acknowledging the important points raised during the engagement process and the public meeting, the service’s recommendations remain the same for the reasons set out in the report – that the site of Ysgol Beaumaris is used to develop the ECH scheme within the Seiriol area taking into account the points made during engagement with the community particularly with regard to ensuring that the site is accessible for older people. Although the Haulfre site was favoured by many within the community it is important to reiterate that Beaumaris is more central to the Seiriol area; it is more accessible to local amenities and it provides a better opportunity to develop the site as a community hub. Urban locations are consistently recommended for the development of ECH facilities and are supportive of the consideration that living well and living independently means having access to resources. It is the Council’s oft stated strategy to offer more options to allow people to live independently thereby reducing the dependency on residential care provision. This approach is consistent with trends nationally; further investment in residential care provision would be a step backwards as regards providing a model of care that is sustainable into the future and ensures independence. As the older population increases, continuing with residential placements as the main form of provision would be a negative step in terms of the Authority’s ability to manage demand in a way that offers less institutional options to individuals and which supports them in remaining independent in the long-term. In any process to decommission Haulfre Residential Home, the service would work closely with individuals and their families to ensure a successful transition to the ECH provision or depending on individual circumstances, to other provision within the South of the Island. The school site is not perfect but with considered design it can provide a good provision for the area. The proposal also provides an opportunity for the Authority to be ambitious in funding the scheme via the Housing Revenue Account thereby enabling the Council to manage its housing and its care options for older people. The recommendation does not make any presumption as regards the outcome of the consultation on the future of the school; it offers an opportunity to co-locate provision for older people with the school should that be the Council’s wish.

Rhian Jones, Ysgol Beaumaris and Councillor Jason Zalot, Beaumaris Town Council were given the opportunity to address the meeting. Both emphasised the strength of feeling within the community against locating the ECH facility on the school site for a number of reasons including accessibility. They suggested that the investment should instead be made in Haulfre while keeping the primary school open. The indications are that pupil numbers at Ysgol Beaumaris are on the increase making the Council’s approach look like short-termism. They were concerned that the ECH development was being discussed ahead of the closure of the statutory consultation on the future of the school, when in the community’s opinion, both are inextricably linked.

Councillors Carwyn Jones, Lewis Davies and Alun Roberts spoke as Local Members. They highlighted the following points –

•           They welcomed the investment in the area but not in the location proposed.

•           They took issue with the assessment of the Ysgol Beaumaris site as the most suitable site suggesting instead that Haulfre, Llangoed would be a better location for the ECH facility and would provide a far more suitable environment for older people than the hilltop site at Ysgol Beaumaris.

•           They were concerned about the future provision for the residents of Haulfre Residential home in the event of its closure many of whose needs are not suitable to independent living. They emphasised that there is a need for residential provision in the area and that the closure of the home would be the latest loss of a service in the south of the Island when a Welsh Government report on a review of health and social care in Wales in 2018 refers to the need still for residential and nursing care homes to provide flexible and long-term care for those who are unable to live in their own home.

•           They pointed out that Beaumaris town is in dire need of investment but of the social housing type to provide for families and young people rather than of the extra care type which will only serve to reinforce the impression of Beaumaris as an ageing town. The land on the school site earmarked for extra care housing would be put to better use by a social housing development whilst retaining the school on a reduced footprint. 

•           The perception within the community is that the matter, including the future of the school has been predetermined. For the engagement process to be meaningful, the Council should listen to the views of the community and those of the Local Members and be prepared to change approach on the basis of what the local people are saying.  The majority of the community who expressed an opinion do not think Ysgol Beaumaris is the right site for the ECH development; many do not want to see neither Ysgol Beaumaris nor Haulfre Residential Home closing. The decision needs to take account of those feelings.

The Committee considered the information presented and it sought clarification/ explanation of the matters noted below –

•           The Committee noted that it is the local community’s view that that the future of Ysgol Beaumaris and the development of the Extra Care Housing facility are interlinked and that many in the community believe that coming to a decision on the ECH development before the consultation on the future of the school has ended means that the fate of the latter has already been determined The Committee sought clarification of the thinking behind the timing of the consultation and decision- making processes with regard to both matters. The Chief Executive said that the ECH facility is being considered before the future of the school has been determined because the two are not interdependent. The Officer’s report makes it clear that the ECH scheme can proceed were the school to remain open or were it close. The Leader and Portfolio Member for Social Services said that she had sought to align the two consultation processes when the engagement on the ECH facility had been completed much sooner.

•           The Committee noted the support by many within the local community for the retention of Haulfre Residential Home. The Committee also noted there is a view locally that the Haulfre site could be used for developing Extra Care Housing. The Committee sought clarification of the reasons for not designating Haulfre, Llangoed as a preferred option. The Head of Adults’ Services said that the Haulfre site was one of 7 sites considered for the ECH scheme. However, its distance from amenities and lack of access to public transport (which are important BREEAM standards in the context of ECH) mean it did not score as highly as the school site which is more central to the wider area. This is why extra care provision is often located in or near to towns.

•           The Committee noted that the ECH development is to be funded through the Housing Revenue Account. The Committee sought clarification of the reasons for utilising the HRA as the funding source for the scheme and whether the risks are greater in going down this route. The Head of Function (Resources) and Section 151 Officer said that the HRA is wholly separate from the Council’s other budgets and is designated for Council housing purposes only. There can be no cross- subsidisation between the HRA and the Council’s other budgets. The Council’s decision to opt out of the HRA subsidy system and to become self-financing means that it has more freedom regarding how it manages its housing including the ability to borrow (albeit up to a capped amount) to develop new housing. The proposed ECH scheme in Beaumaris will have to be self-sustaining i.e. the rental income it generates will be used to support it, hence the need for the scheme to be able to maximise its rental income by ensuring full occupation. The Head of Housing Services confirmed that Welsh Government social housing grants for ECH schemes such as was used to fund the Penucheldre ECH development in Holyhead have reduced significantly and the latest ECH scheme in Llangefni is being funded by private loans taken out by the Housing Association. The greatest risk to the HRA is from there being a large number of voids in the ECH scheme; the risk is reduced in locating the scheme in an urban setting.

•           The Committee noted that it is intended that Haulfre residential home should close and that its residents where appropriate, will transfer to the new ECH facility in Beaumaris. The Committee sought clarification and assurance that there will also be appropriate and adequate provision for those residents whose care needs cannot be met by the ECH facility and that they will be suitably looked after. The Committee further sought clarification of the impact which the closure of Haulfre Residential Home is likely to have on the Gerddi Heulfre and Blaen y Coed provision for people with learning disabilities. The Head of Adults’ Services said that the service is aiming to extend the options available to people whose needs may be more acute e. g. in Garreglwyd where there is a new resource for people with dementia. The service’s strategy does not state that there will never be a need for residential care provision, but in acknowledging this, the strategy does seek to provide more options to allow people to live independently e. g. ECH. People who have specialist needs will be provided for through specialist residential care, through nursing care and/or EMI nursing care – the Officer said that he was confident that these forms of provision are continuing but notwithstanding they may have to be accessed beyond the individual’s immediate community. The learning disability service is under review as a whole with the objective of establishing the best model for the delivery of learning disability provision; it would therefore be premature to predict the outcome of the review with reference to Gerddi Haulfre and Blaen y Coed.

Councillor Lewis Davies proposed the following amendments to the recommendations in the Officer’s report –

•           Due to the strength of feeling among the local community and Local Members, that the Council re-considers establishing Extra Care Housing on the site of Haulfre, Llangoed

•           That Haulfre Residential Home is incorporated within the scheme in order to provide for those who are no longer able to live independently

•           Due to the shortage of land for housing for young people in Beaumaris, that the Ysgol Beaumaris site is developed for social housing whilst retaining a smaller school.

The Committee was advised, and it noted, that as the statutory consultation on the future of Ysgol Beaumaris remains open, it is not able to consider any proposals which reference the primary school. Councillor Lewis Davies subsequently withdrew the reference to the school from the third of his proposals.

In the ensuing vote, the first and third of the amendments above were carried by a majority of the Committee’s members. From the Officer’s recommendations, the Committee accepted that the ECH scheme be funded through the Housing Revenue Account.

The Committee, having considered the information presented both verbally and in writing along with the representations made at the meeting, RESOLVED to recommend to the Executive -

•           That due to the strength of feeling among the local community and Local Members, the Council re-considers establishing the Extra Care Housing development in the Seiriol area on the site of Haulfre, Llangoed.

•           That due to the shortage of land for housing for young people in Beaumaris, the Ysgol Beaumaris site is used to develop social housing.

•           That the ECH development is funded through the Housing Revenue Account.

NO ADDITIONAL ACTION WAS PROPOSED