A new 32-bed care home could be built in the Rhondda Fach if plans are approved. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has submitted a planning application for the construction on the site of the former Chubb Fire factory on an industrial estate in Ferndale.
Replacement for Ferndale House
The new home is set to replace the existing Ferndale House when it is open. In January 2025, RCT's cabinet decided not to go ahead with the proposed closure of Ferndale House at the time, agreeing to keep it open until new care accommodation in Rhondda Fach is built.
The council says that staff working at Ferndale House will transfer to the new development when it is completed, alongside the current residents.
Design and facilities
This new home would be organised into four clusters of eight rooms to support personalised care with staff facilities on site. The development includes supporting facilities including office spaces, dining areas, kitchen, laundry, and other amenities as well as sustainable drainage, landscaping, car parking, and associated works.
The application site measures around 1.23 hectares and is the former Chubb Fire & Security factory which opened in 1950 and during its occupation was used to supply fire-fighting equipment. The factory closed in 2005 and all of the buildings have now been removed.
The site has been recently used for a construction compound as part of the development of the adjacent school which was completed in January 2025.
Planning recommendation
There have been no public letters of objection to the application. In recommending approval, planning officers said: “The site provides an opportunity to deliver a scheme that responds to local need and helps address the identified demand for care home provision across the county borough.
“The development would be located on a brownfield site within the settlement boundary of Ferndale and is considered acceptable having regard to relevant national planning policy and all other material planning considerations.”
The application is due to go before the council's planning committee on Thursday, August 13.
