£520,000 loan helps transform Llandudno care home into dementia facility
£520,000 loan helps transform Llandudno care home into dementia facility
Subscribe to the Businessin Wales daily newsletter for FREE here.
A closed nursing home in Llandudno has been brought back to life as a specialist dementia care facility following a £520,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales.
The investment has enabled qualified nursing professionals Steffan and Bethany Robbins to fully renovate the former Abbey Nursing Home, which had stood empty for a decade, and reopen it as Orme View Dementia Care. The refurbished home will now provide 16 dedicated dementia care beds in a region facing growing demand for specialist provision.
The couple have been running Orme View Residential Home, a 14-bed facility on Llandudno’s West Shore, since spring 2023. Their second site sits adjacent to the original home, creating a cluster of care facilities in the town.
Renovations to the building included full redecoration, the installation of new call alarms, and replacement flooring throughout. Funding came from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund, one of the Development Bank’s major vehicles for supporting small and medium-sized businesses.
This marks the second round of support the Robbins have received from the Development Bank. In 2023, they secured a £475,000 loan from the Wales Business Fund to purchase the original Orme View.
Demand for the new dementia facility has already exceeded supply, with all 16 beds fully allocated. Conwy Council referred the majority of residents following the closure of Cartrefle Dementia Care Home in Llanrwst earlier this year.
Steffan Robbins, owner of Orme View, said: “There is high demand for dementia care provision in this area, and the recent closure of another care home in Conwy County has meant we’ve already seen high demand even before we’ve opened our doors.
“The support we’ve had from the Development Bank of Wales has meant we’ve been able to quickly progress with the renovation of Orme View Dementia Care so we could bring it up to the standard required. That quick turnaround means we’ve been able to quickly train new staff and prepare the home to welcome residents as soon as possible.”
Since its launch in 2017, the Development Bank of Wales has invested £35 million across 49 projects in the care sector, with £15 million channelled into 14 providers in 2024/25 alone.
Stewart Williams, Portfolio Executive at the Development Bank of Wales, said: “Steffan and Bethany have an excellent track record in local care provision, and they’re well-placed to take on the running of Orme View Dementia Care.
“Care is a growing priority across Wales. By supporting business owners like Steffan and Bethany, we’re helping to ensure that high-quality, person-centred care is available where it’s needed most.”
Other Development Bank investments in the sector this year include a £2.97 million loan to fund the Oxford Care Group’s purchase of Bankhouse Care Home in Ebbw Vale, support for the acquisition of Cherry Tree Care Home in Caldicot by Basanta Nepal and Bishwa Tara Ghimire, and backing for new owners at Gwyddfor Residential Home near Bodedern, Anglesey.
The Wales Flexible Investment Fund offers between £25,000 and £10 million in loans, mezzanine finance, and equity investments, making it one of the Development Bank’s key tools for supporting small businesses and social enterprises across the country.
Want more from Businessin Wales? Why not follow us on our socials
Listen to the Businessin Wales podcast
