The Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care have visited the construction site in Porth, where work to provide our new extra care housing development continues. They saw for themselves the good progress being made to deliver the state-of-the-art development with Linc Cymru (Linc).
Last year, project contractor Intelle Construction started its activity at the former Dan y Mynydd Care Home site, to bring the area back into use with a first-class development made up of 60 extra care apartments in a four-storey building. Other amenities in the modern building will include a dining area, hair salon, activity room, day care centre and offices, plus an external car park.
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE and Councillor Gareth Caple visited the work site on Wednesday, April 2, where they toured the development site with the contractor, along with representatives from the Council’s partner Linc.
On site, the contractor has made positive progress with the brickwork to the upper ground floor areas across all four elevations of the new building. The installation of window frames has almost been completed, with glazing underway on the first floor. Fire boarding of steel beams is also in progress, while internal plaster boarding has started on the upper ground floor. Progress is also being made with other important tasks across the building, like installing the sprinkler and ventilation systems.
Externally, the main building’s roof is almost half-way installed, while the substation is installed with on-site cables connected to the plant room.
Among the next main activities on site, over the coming months, will be the substantial completion of the brickwork. Once the west elevation is completed, the large crane will be removed and the roof will be finished. Window glazing across the building will be completed, with the building made watertight. Another key milestone will be ensuring the electric power to the site is live.
Completion of the overall scheme is anticipated during spring 2026, and the Council and Linc will continue to keep residents up-to-date with the key stages of the development as further progress is made in the months ahead.
Councillor Gareth Caple, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “This exciting development in Porth shows we are continuing to deliver upon our commitment to modernise care accommodation options for older people and continue to increase the number of extra care beds in Rhondda Cynon Taf to meet need. The Porth scheme will become the third extra care development to be delivered locally in recent years, in partnership with Linc, following Maesyffynnon in Aberaman and Cwrt yr Orsaf in Graig.
“We’re also progressing work to deliver a specialist care accommodation in Gelli, while site clearance is being completed in Mountain Ash after planning consent was granted for a modern development providing a mix of extra care housing, residential dementia care, and ‘Later Living’ accommodation. Also, we are committed to providing two future new care accommodations in Ferndale and Church Village, focusing on residential dementia care and supported living for adults with learning disabilities respectively.
“I visited the work site in Porth last summer to see initial infrastructure work being completed, and the foundations being laid for the new building – and returning on Wednesday illustrated the significant progress being made. The project is not only providing new first-class care accommodation, but it is also ensuring the prominent site, which was formerly a care home, is put to excellent use.”
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, added: “It’s great to see this project progressing. This facility is part of our commitment to invest nearly £100 million in new social care facilities across Rhondda Cynon Taf.
“Extra care helps people live independently in their own homes for as long as possible, with 24/7 support available for their assessed needs. They provide bright and modern facilities, and aim to create a community within the building – while encouraging residents to take part in meaningful interactions within their wider local communities. Our two recently-delivered schemes in Aberaman and Graig continue to be popular hubs in that respect, and the Porth scheme is targeted to meet a need for such accommodation locally.
“I’d like to thank the contractor’s work team for hosting us on site, to see the site activity continuing on this important investment. The progress being made is plain to see – with all four elevations now in place and good progress being made with key elements such as the roof and windows. I’m looking forward to seeing further progress towards the scheme’s delivery early next year.”
Jo Yellen, Project Manager at Linc, added: “It’s fantastic to see the progress being made on-site as we work towards delivering this much-needed Extra Care development in Porth. Our partnership with Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is focused on providing high-quality homes with the right support to help people live independently in a safe and welcoming community. As the build continues to take shape, we’re excited to see the project move closer to completion and look forward to welcoming residents next year.”
