THE decision taken to close a Pembrokeshire residential respite care homes will result in nine redundancies.

At a Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet meeting on Monday, councillors decided to vote in favour of closing Perrots Lodge care home in Haverfordwest by relinquishing the £60,000 a year lease of the building.

Perrots Lodge is one of three residential respite care homes in Pembrokeshire.

The others are Havenhurst, Milford Haven and Hillside Home, Goodwick.

In the report to Cabinet, Director for Social Services and Leisure, Pam Marsden says that Hillside and Havenhurst can accommodate the demand for respite care, along with the independent sector.

The report added: “Over the last few years demand for respite in both Perrots Lodge and Havenhurst has reduced despite a number of attempts to market the services with social work staff and more generally.”

The nine staff who are currently employed at Perrots Lodge will ‘be given support to find alternative permanent employment wherever possible’.

The net budget for Perrots Lodge for 2016/2017 is £350,000.

In the Cabinet meeting, Council Leader Cllr Jamie Adams asked Pam for reassurance that families requiring respite wouldn’t be inhibited.

Ms Marsden said: “As the report indicates, over the last year we’ve been able to meet that demand, and prior to the last year, we had under usage in both Perrots Lodge and Havenhurst, so I can re-assure you that demand is being met and will continue to be met.

“In terms of my financial pressures for this coming year, I need to find approximately £4 million. So clearly if we can do this without making a huge impact on the demand, and being able to meet that demand, and I can save this kind of money then obviously that’s what the report’s before you.”