A £520,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales has helped the owners of a Llandudno care business to renovate a newly-acquired home which had been closed for 10 years, turning it into a specialist dementia care facility.
The investment addresses a growing demand for high-quality dementia care in North Wales, the Development Bank of Wales said.
Qualified nursing professionals Steffan and Bethany Robbins have run Orme View Residential Home, a 14-bed care home on Llandudno’s West Shore, since the spring of 2023.
In late 2024 the couple bought the former Abbey Nursing Home, a neighbouring home which closed in the mid-2010s. They have renovated the building with the support of a £520,000 loan from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund, and have reopened the home as Orme View Dementia Care to provide specialised dementia care across 16 beds. The renovations include redecorating the building, and installing new call alarms, flooring and flooring.
The loan for Orme View Dementia Care is one of 49 investments totalling £35 million that have been made in the care sector by the Development Bank of Wales since its launch in 2017, with £15 million invested into 14 care providers in 2024/25.
This is the second time the Development Bank has supported Steffan and Bethany Robbins, following a £475,000 loan from the Wales Business Fund to help them buy Orme View in 2023. Places for residents at Orme View Dementia Care have already been fully allocated, with the majority of residents referred to the home by Conwy Council following the closure of Cartrefle, a dementia care facility in Llanrwst, in May.
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.”
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 investments by the Development Bank of Wales in the care sector include a £2.97 million loan to support the purchase of Bankhouse Care Home, in Ebbw Vale, by the Oxford Care Group; helping care business owners Basanta Nepal and Bishwa Tara Ghimire to buy Cherry Tree Care Home in Caldicot; and helping new owners to take on Gwyddfor Residential Home near Bodedern, Anglesey.
The Wales Flexible Investment Fund offers finance for deals between £25,000 and £10 million, with loans, mezzanine finance and equity investments available.
