As Trengrouse House sits empty for a second year – an update regarding its future has been given by the council.   

The former care home has been empty since it closed at the beginning of 2022, with locals asking what is happening with the site two years later.   

Last week, a post was shared on Facebook by a member of the public regarding two homeless people wrapped in blankets in the bus shelter opposite Yeomans VW Garage.

Several comments were left on the post with some people suggesting that Trengrouse House be re-opened to house people who are homeless.

One comment left on the post said: “What makes me so angry is, to see homeless people, cold and wet when there are big empty buildings yards away,” whilst another comment said: “Come on, get Trengrouse Nursing Home reopened for these people. 41 rooms, three lounges, two bathrooms, one shower room, one large kitchen, one small kitchen, and a large dining room.

"It’s criminal to let it go into disrepair when it could be put to use.”

However, an update on the future of the site has now been provided by Helston Town Councillor Mike Thomas and Cornwall Council Adult Social Care.

Cllr Thomas told the Packet this week: “Before Christmas, I had confirmation that the intention is still to procure a developer to demolish, plan, rebuild and provide a new adult social care residential home facility on that site.

“We are all waiting with eager anticipation to see what happens next.”

Now it has been revealed that Cornwall Council is currently seeking expressions of interest regarding “Care home services and care home redevelopment opportunities in Cornwall” – specifically Trengrouse House, and Trefula Nursing Home in St Day.

The window of interest opened on January 19 and will close on February 20 at midday.

The notice states: “Cornwall Council is working to ensure that the available care home capacity meets the current and future demand for services.

“To date care homes have not been developed at the pace required to meet the increasing needs of the Cornish population both now and into the future and there is a significant gap emerging between need and the availability of supply, particularly for people living with dementia.

“One of a number of approaches the council is taking to address this gap relates to the following two sites that the council currently hold the freehold interest in Trefula Nursing Home, St Day, Redruth, Cornwall, TR16 5ET, and Trengrouse, Trengrouse Way, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 8BA.”

“The council therefore wishes to procure one service provider and award them the council's contract.”

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Whoever takes on the sites will be requited to purchase the freehold for both from the council, with restrictions to build and operate a “new build older persons care home” on each site.

They must also undertake the operational management of the existing nursing care home at Trefula while the site is being developed, with care services and dedicated access to the 28 nursing beds at the existing care home for council placements.

The successful service provider must have secure funding in place to design, obtain planning permission, develop and construct a scheme on each of the two sites, with the council saying: “As a minimum each scheme must include a new build older persons care home and key worker accommodation on each site that meets the council’s requirements, that provides accommodation that is fit for purpose, designed to modern standards and meets the council’s design principles for new build care homes, good practice for dementia friendly environments and any relevant CQC and legislative requirements.”

Once the two schemes are completed the service provider will main the ownership of the two sites and be responsible for their operational management.

They must also enter into the council’s Care Home Contracts, will require the successful application to provide a care service at both sites, dedicated access to a number of the guaranteed beds for local authority placements – which must be priced below or within the council’s fee methodology – and the ability for the council to spot purchase additional beds over and above the guaranteed beds at  both sites.

This next step follows the council’s cabinet agreeing in March 2023 to take steps towards the sale and redevelopment of the Trengrouse site and the Trefula site.

At the time the redevelopment plans included the demolition of the existing buildings on the site and transferring the land for redevelopment into new facilities.

Trefula House was taken over by the council following the failure of the care provider in 2019 and has been managed and supported by Corserv Care, while Trengrouse was one of the sites that transferred back to the council when Cornwall Care handed back the leasehold in January 2022.