Home stretch for works on North Wales disability respite centre and café

The development of a multi-million-pound development which will help boost the care and support available for people who have disabilities in Colwyn Bay is entering the final stages of work.

Bodelwyddan-based Wynne Construction is due to complete the build on Dinerth Road on behalf of Conwy County Borough Council by the end of the year, which will see a residential respite service and day centre at Bron Y Nant and a separate café and shop at Bryn Euryn Nurseries.

Lesley Griffiths MS, Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales visited Bron y Nant to view the progress on site, accompanied by Conwy’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Emily Owen, and Conwy’s Strategic Director for Social Care, Jenny Williams.

Through the Integrated Care Fund (ICF) capital programme the Welsh Government has contributed funding of £1.4m towards the development of this project.

Painting and decorating is currently underway in the residential respite building, alongside the continuation of internal finishing tasks at the café and shop situated at the lower part of the site.

The exterior of the development features oak bordering and a traditional slate roof.

Work has also been carried out on the external surroundings of the site. Due to the steep terrain, retainer walls have been built into the banks of the development to support the foundations of the residential respite building.

Wynne Construction has also worked alongside the Council to increase access to renewable energy on the site as part of the Council’s commitment to sustainable development, with ten solar panels installed on the roof of the residential respite building.

The panels will help the Council reduce energy bills as well as reducing the site’s reliance on fossil fuels.

The Council has drawn up environmental objectives under its corporate plan, which involves people in Conwy valuing and looking after the environment.

This includes encouraging more recycling; renewable energy projects in the community; and education on flooding prevention, with the plan also focusing on reducing carbon footprint and investing in renewable energy where possible.

Graham Dickson, contracts manager at Wynne Construction, said: “We are very excited to be making progress at the Bron Y Nant and Bryn Euryn Nurseries site, with our sights set on the end of 2022 for completion.

“The five fully-furnished respite apartments, day service, café, shop and garden nursery will be a welcome addition for the Conwy community, bringing new job opportunities and care for people with a disability and their carers.

“We are looking forward to seeing all the different elements of this site come together and delivering it to the local community of Conwy.”

Cllr Penny Andow, Conwy’s Cabinet Member for Integrated Adult and Community Services, said, “The development of the Bron Y Nant and Bryn Euryn Nursery has been a long term vision for Conwy Social Services, and contributes to the Council’s priority to support the needs of those who live and work in Conwy.

“These new buildings will help us deliver our services in a high quality, bespoke environment.  This increased provision of residential respite for people with a learning disability, and particularly for people with physical disabilities and chronic health conditions, will help us to better support our many informal carers, ensuring that they have regular and predictable breaks from the important role of caring.

“The development of the café, shop and nursery will provide opportunities for people with disabilities to gain work skills and move closer to achieving their aspiration of paid employment. We hope that the café, shop and nursery will become a favourite place local residents to shop for plants and stop for a coffee.”

Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, Lesley Griffiths said: “I am pleased the Welsh Government has been able to provide financial support for this important development in Colwyn Bay.

“It has been great to see the progress being made and once completed the centre will be crucial in helping meet the requirements of people with care and support needs.”

Wynne Construction operates throughout Wales and the North West of England, and regularly leads on projects in sectors including education, healthcare, commercial, housing and sport and leisure.

The company is also on the North Wales Construction Partnership (NWCP), for projects £2m – £10m in value, the South-East and mid-Wales Collaborative Construction Framework (SEWSCAP3) for projects valued between £10m – £25m and the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework for projects valued between £5m – £9m.