A Cornish care home, which was deemed “not fit for purpose” earlier this year, is now likely to close for good by the end of December.

A bid by Cornwall Council to find a build partner to construct a replacement for Trefula House at Vogue, near St Day, has so far proved unsuccessful.

It was hoped that a replacement care home would be built on the site near Redruth while Trefula House remained open. However, this has not been possible. It was announced in August that staff were working with the NHS to find new homes for the occupants, some of whom have dementia.

Trefula provides nursing care for 22 elderly people. The building is currently registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide a maximum of 28 nursing home beds. It has an additional 14 bedrooms upstairs, which have been closed and are not registered due to health and safety risks.

A meeting of Cornwall Council’s audit committee was given an update at its meeting on Friday (November 22) at which Alison Waller, of Corserv Care, stated that the arm’s length council company is unable to continue  maintaining the building in a “safe and compliant” manner through another winter.  She anticipated the home would close by the end of December.

Ms Waller said: “The infrastructure in the building is very challenging. We have a biomass boiler which chooses when it wants to work, usually in the summer and not in the winter. The heating, piping and electrics right through the building are wholly inadequate, so we have made the very difficult decision, but the right decision for the safety and wellbeing of our residents and staff, that the home will close.

“We are hoping the council will secure a build partner and create a very exciting and purpose-built facility going forward for the people of the St Day and Redruth area.”

Ms Waller told councillors that it was hoped the council would have already found a building contractor to complete a new Trefula on land the local authority owns adjacent to the current property, subject to planning permission. However, procurement has failed with the council unable to secure a build partner. Another round of tenders will now go out.

“To maintain Trefula in the condition it is would be extremely challenging for anybody and we’ve been very open about that,” she added.