ALL local authorities in Wales should standardise payments for care home places, according to Care Forum Wales, the organisation representing the sector. The current system, where fees are set by individual councils, has led to stark discrepancies across the country, creating what the forum describes as a “postcode lottery”.

A significant variation in weekly charges for basic care has emerged between neighbouring counties, with some care home owners warning that the situation could force more closures. In two adjacent counties, the fees can differ by as much as £70 per week.

The Welsh government has acknowledged the issue, stating that its new National Office for Care and Support is considering measures “to bring about consistency”. However, it has also indicated that fee rates will continue to differ due to “local factors like land values for care homes”.

The Welsh Conservatives criticised the current approach as a “false economy”, arguing that social care and health services should not be competing for resources. Plaid Cymru echoed the need for change, calling for a “transformational change” in the health service.

Orme View care home in Llandudno, Conwy county, has seen its fees rise this year, following a decision by Conwy council to break away from the system where all councils in north Wales set their fees collectively. Instead, the council has adopted a new fee structure based on recommendations from an independent assessor, resulting in significantly higher payments.

Steffan Robbins of Orme View welcomed the change, calling it “an amazing, positive step forward.” Speaking to Politics Wales, he said, “Conwy have taken that step to really assess the true cost of care and make sure they deliver a fee that’s affordable to them, but also a fee that reflects the true costs that we’re seeing in the sector.”

In contrast, the Old Vicarage care home in Llangollen, Denbighshire, is receiving thousands of pounds less per resident each year compared to Orme View because it relies on the fees set by Denbighshire council. Although there has been an increase in fees this year, it remains substantially lower than the rates in neighbouring Conwy.

Currently, the fees for basic care in Conwy are £846 per week, while in Denbighshire they are £774. The disparity means that some care homes, like the Old Vicarage, are forced to charge residents additional top-up fees to stay afloat.

“It’s very disappointing,” said Bethan Mascarenhas, who runs the Old Vicarage. “As somebody who’s very invested in the work that they do, we really strive to give the absolute best level of care… Unfortunately, the divide between the fees will make that difference in what you can provide.”

A call for change

Care Forum Wales, the umbrella organisation for Welsh care homes, has warned that the current system is undermining facilities in areas where the fees do not reflect the actual costs. Chairman Mario Kreft emphasised the need for uniformity, stating, “The new National Office for Care and Support needs to ensure we have parity across Wales, that there is at least an understood basic level of funding across all local authorities and health boards. We’ve got to move away from a postcode lottery.”

Denbighshire council responded by asserting that it is striving to balance financial constraints while ensuring the sustainability of the care sector in the county. “We have worked hard to strike the delicate balance between navigating challenging financial constraints and ensuring that we are maintaining a sustainable future for the care sector in the county,” a spokesperson said. The council also noted that it has not seen evidence to suggest that differing fee rates are affecting the solvency of care homes in Denbighshire.

Speaking to BBC Politics Wales, Welsh Conservative MS Sam Rowlands urged the Welsh government to ensure that local authorities receive adequate funding to properly compensate care homes. “It’s kind of a false economy pitching social care against health services, because we know that there are hundreds and hundreds of beds in our hospitals at the moment which are blocked because people cannot access the care services that they need,” he said.

Plaid Cymru MS Mabon ap Gwynfor also called for a significant shift in the approach to care services. “We need to see a transformational change within the care service,” he said. “We need to see the Welsh government actually put this first and foremost as a priority… and to deliver that national care service so that care is free for individuals, that people working in the sector are paid properly, so that we know that our loved ones get that care.”

The National Office for Care and Support is currently exploring the possibility of introducing national fee methodologies to standardise care home fees. However, it has indicated that this does not necessarily mean a single national fee rate, as fees will still vary according to local factors such as land values for care homes.

The debate continues as stakeholders await the government’s next steps in addressing the inequalities in care home funding across Wales.

THE new Lidl supermarket planned for Milford Haven has sparked safety concerns from a neighbouring business owner, as the application for its construction is set to go before Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee next week.

The new store is proposed to be built where the current car park is, with the building coming right next to the road.

Ian Ritchie, owner of the Victoria Filling Station, which sits adjacent to the proposed site on Great North Road, has been raising alarms about the potential dangers posed by the store’s design and access arrangements.

Despite repeated attempts to engage with Lidl’s representatives and the council, Ritchie claims his concerns have been largely ignored, with planners seemingly prioritising retail space over road and pedestrian safety.

“The safety of customers and pedestrians has become secondary for more retail space and 11 more parking spaces,” Ritchie stated. He warns that the current plans for the store, which include demolishing the existing Lidl and adjoining properties, will block his site and create hazardous conditions for both his customers and passing traffic.

The Victoria Filling Station, a business with nearly 100 years of service to the community, sees high traffic volumes, including regular deliveries from large fuel trucks. Ritchie points out that the filling station’s boundary area includes a vapour recovery system and fuel tanks holding over 50,000 litres. He argues that the proposed layout of the new Lidl could impede the safe flow of traffic in and out of his site, potentially resulting in accidents and putting customers at risk.

Ritchie has been advocating for a redesign that would ensure safe access for both his customers and those visiting the new Lidl store. However, he says his attempts to open a dialogue have been fruitless. “Listening to the conversation today, I do not believe our site has been considered in any way,” Ritchie remarked in a recent communication, emphasising the lack of engagement from planners on what he views as serious public safety and environmental concerns.

Lidl’s proposed new store is set to replace its current premises on Great North Road, along with adjoining properties, including the Enterprise Rent-a-Car unit. According to a statement by planning agents CarneySweeney, the new store aims to address the outdated design and operational inefficiencies of the current supermarket while better serving local customer demand. The development promises up to 40 new jobs and will expand the car park to 93 spaces, adding EV charging points and spaces for parents and children.

Despite the potential benefits, Ritchie believes these improvements come at the expense of safety. His concerns include the impact on visibility for vehicles, the increased risk for fuel trucks accessing the filling station, and the overall traffic flow on this busy trunk road. The filling station, which pumps around 4 million litres of fuel annually, plays a crucial role in the community by providing competitively priced fuel.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning officer has recommended the application for conditional approval at its 8 October meeting. While the project has gained support from Milford Haven Town Council, two public objections have been lodged, citing concerns over the store’s design, size, and vehicle access arrangements. Following feedback, the applicants have made some changes, such as removing proposed bollards that would have obstructed access to a disabled parking bay. However, Ritchie’s larger concerns about road safety and access remain unresolved.

The officer’s report notes that the site includes several properties that have been unoccupied for some time, as well as a former petrol station with underground storage tanks that are set to be removed. While Lidl’s statement emphasises their commitment to reducing environmental impact during construction, Ritchie worries that his filling station’s safety and operational viability are at stake.

As the planning committee prepares to make its decision, Ritchie continues to call for a balanced approach that prioritises safety for existing businesses and the community. The outcome of this meeting will determine whether his concerns will be addressed or if the development will proceed as planned, potentially setting a precedent for how new retail developments are handled in proximity to established businesses.

Pembrokeshire could be “on the cusp” of an economic opportunity as great as the petrochemical industry investment in the county in the 1950s, senior councillors heard today, October 3, when they approved a full business case for the Celtic Freeport.

The Milford Haven Waterway-based Freeport, shared with Neath Port Talbot, represents a new opportunity to help Wales continue to develop a globally competitive, inclusive and sustainable economy, members of a special Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet meeting heard.

At the meeting, Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller said: “This is a tremendously exciting period for the Haven waterway and for Pembrokeshire as a whole.

“We couldn’t be more closely aligned with the aspirations of UK and Welsh Government in terms of energy transition and our role is to ensure we create the right conditions for investment and growth both here in Pembrokeshire and across the South West Wales region.

“The scale of the opportunity ahead for the Milford Haven Waterway and for Pembrokeshire is enormous and we are determined to ensure we maximise the opportunity this coming energy revolution offers to grow the Pembrokeshire economy, to secure investment and to create and sustain good jobs.

“The energy industry is, and has been, a key component of the Pembrokeshire economy since the 1950s. The arrival of the hydrocarbon business to the Milford Haven waterway transformed the county and its prosperity. That industry continues to be the primary economic force in Pembrokeshire but it’s also not the force it once was – with the loss of four refineries.

“Therefore, we need to look to the future, to look for opportunity and right now, we’re on the cusp of another opportunity with the potential to be every bit as transformational as those investments in the 50s.

“This opportunity revolves around future clean, green, renewable energy and in particular the potential for Pembrokeshire to play a key role in the exploitation of wind energy through the design, fabrication, operation and maintenance of floating off-shore wind turbines – and also green hydrogen.”

He told members the Freeport would benefit the larger county, with potential huge business rates benefits, adding it would not result in any erosion of workers’ rights in the Freeport area, and would not “allow the overturning of planning regulations”.

“I think this is a tremendously exciting period for The Haven and Pembrokeshire as a whole, a great opportunity for us to play our part in energy transition and a real renaissance in industry around the Haven waterway, and the county as a whole.”

Leader Cllr Jon Harvey said: “It’s an exciting opportunity, what we’ve always striven to do is look to create well-paid jobs in Pembrokeshire, this gives us an opportunity, I believe. It could be quite aspirational.”

The Celtic Freeport in Milford Haven and Port Talbot, along with Anglesey Freeport on Ynys Mon was announced in March 2023.

The Celtic Freeport aims to attract significant investment, including £3.5bn in the hydrogen industry, and hopes to create 16,000 new jobs across the two sites, generating £900m in Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2030, and £13bn by 2050.