Go-ahead given to plans for £8m 'care village'

PLANS for a multi-million-pound care village on the former Barrow Gurney Hospital site have been given the green light.

Councillors have approved outline plans by Gloucestershire-based English Care Villages to create an £8 million care village on the 4.5 hectare site of the former hospital at Wild Country Lane, which closed six years ago.

The care village would include a 38-bedroom care home for the frail and elderly and those needing convalescence and respite care.

There are also plans to build 98 assisted living and eight linked assisted living apartments on the site. The apartments would offer people a semi independent lifestyle with a sitting room, one or two bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen.

The units would be available to buy or to rent and would be more suited to those who are more physically able or a couple where one partner needed some personal or mobility assistance.

The scheme also includes 23 close care apartments which will also be available to buy or rent, where residents subscribe to a package which includes food, utility bills, daily care and cleaning and laundry.

There will also be a 56-bedroom dementia unit for people needing 24-hour care and a series of shops, including a restaurant and cafe bar, in a special village centre complex.

It would also feature a private dining room for activities and parties, a wellness centre, hair and beauty salon, library, gift shop and laundry and dry cleaning.

The site would be landscaped and existing trees and woodland retained and meadow areas established.

There would also be an extensive pedestrian network created around the site to link open spaces and the homes to the village centre and a dial a ride service would also operate.

The care village is expected to create around 180 new jobs for local people.

Occupancy of the village will be limited to those aged 65 and over and in need of care and support, together with any person living with them for the duration of their lives.

Care and support staff will be based at the site on a 24-hour basis.

Plans to build 43 homes on a section of the site once earmarked for offices were also approved by councillors, despite objections from some residents who said it would bring extra traffic to the already congested village.

The former hospital site, which is owned by developers Del Pierro Ltd, already had planning permission to build a mix of offices and 17 executive homes.

The news that the care home plan has been approved has been welcomed by councillors.

Over the past few years the site has become run down and unkempt and been a target for vandals.

Barrow Gurney councillor Geoff Coombes said: "The hospital closed six years ago and the local community has been concerned about the state of the site,

"I am delighted this scheme can now move forward."

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