AN ESTATE agent has been appointed to market the land where the former Bryneithin care home was based in Dinas Powys.

The Vale Council hopes to sell the surplus land to develop either an extra care facility or accommodation for people over the age of 50.

Local residents had fought a long-running campaign to keep the care home open after it was deemed to be too old to meet modern care and accommodation standards.

The facility was eventually demolished at a cost of £145,000 in October last year, with the Friends of Bryneithin group bemoaning the lack of respite facilities for families suffering from dementia across the Vale.

Upmarket estate agents Savills has been appointed to market the 0.35 hectares (0.77 acres) prime site located just off ‘The Common’ and adjacent to St Andrew’s Major School CIW Primary School.

Gareth Carter, director at Savills, is handling the sale on behalf of the council and sad that they expected "competitive interest" in the site

“The site is self-contained and well-screened with an impressive tree-lined approach," he said.

"We expect interest from local and regional developers and operators in both the healthcare and retirement sectors. A sale by tender will be conducted and we expect to receive competitive interest in this unique site.”

The Vale Council has previously said that it would welcome proposals from “registered social landlords, private developers and other potential providers” and stressed that it was committed to delivering an elderly persons facility on the site.

An eight-week consultation into the future use of the site concluded that “local residents feel strongly that there is a need for more care provision for residents of the Vale who have a dementia-related illness” and that “there is a need for additional respite facilities for residents caring for older people”.

Councillor Stuart Egan, deputy leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council and cabinet member for adult services, welcomed the appointment of Savills to market the "highly attractive" site.

“The Council wishes to sell the site for development for either an extra care facility or accommodation for people who are over the age of 50," he said.

"There is a severe shortage of this type of accommodation in the village and making this site available will ensure that the site is developed for a use compatible with its environment and proximity to local facilities. Our agents will encourage interest in the healthcare and retirement sector and, when proposals are received, they will be assessed in accordance with the quality of design, in addition to overall best value.”