Senior Pembrokeshire councillors have backed the early stages of a purchase of a second council-run children’s care home in the county.

Sentry Cottage, formerly known as Ty Cariad, previously operated as a privately-run children’s home registered with Care Inspectorate Wales used by the council; with the home closing in 2025.

A report for members of the November meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, presented by Cabinet Member for Young People, Community, Well-being and Future Generations Cllr Marc Tierney said that, following a visit of the property and its grounds it was concluded that the property is suitable for undergoing extensive refurbishment and repurposing as a four-bed children’s home.

“This project proposes to acquire the current empty property, and subject to intrusive survey outcomes, undertake the preferred option of extensive refurbishment to bring it up to regulatory standards, as a four-bed children’s home. In addition, the plan includes the potential to transform the two-storey garage/outbuilding into a step-down semi-independent provision for a 16 or 17-year-old young person.”

“This project forms a part of the authority’s wider ambition to expand its in-house residential portfolio. This would provide significant mitigation against the possible negative impacts of the not-for-profit agenda on the wider provider market.”

It said bringing the services in-house through the purchase would result in a potential cost avoidance of between £195,811 and £485,084 per year, when compared with current average external costs.

The report finished: “Whilst there are undoubtedly risks associated with purchasing this property and pursuing its redevelopment – either by refurbishment or rebuilding – we believe that the risks represented by not pursuing an ambitious plan to develop further in-house residential care, especially in light of current financial pressures and future market risks, is off-set by the significant likely benefits.”

Members backed recommendations in the report to approve the acquisition and subsequent capital costs for its renovation into the capital programme of up to £2,855,784.

Funding of £150,000 previously approved by Cabinet in June 2025 for feasibility studies will be capitalised to provide match funding for the project, with £2,705,784 from the Welsh government’s Integration and Rebalancing Capital Fund, the initial application being approved last month

Members were also asked to note an application for the second stage of the grant process will be submitted to Welsh Government, with a further report to Cabinet if external funding is not secured.