Alderney care home funding row deepens

A ROW over Alderney's new Royal Connaught Care Residential Home has deepened with warnings its funding from Guernsey could be put in jeopardy.

The island's Finance Committee chairman, Robert McDowall, was appointed to the Board of the New Connaught Care Home – which is suffering serious funding problems – by the Policy Committee as the States representative earlier this year.

The home and its sister facility, the Jubilee, can house 38 people – but occupancy levels have consistently remained at around 22.

Mr McDowall estimated that the Connaught would need three years of rent subsidies totalling around £100,000 to build up its reserves again.

In a statement the board said: 'The proposed appointee... does not have the support of the board or the public, but despite the request of the board to nominate an alternative the committee remains adamant that he should be appointed.'