News
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Developer fights on for popular Care Scheme proposal
Innovative plans for a much needed retirement village at Faraday Road in Hereford, strongly supported by local residents, are to be resubmitted today (13/11/09) by developers Bovale, despite initial rejection by planners.
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Developer fights on for popular Care Scheme proposal
Innovative plans for a much needed retirement village at Faraday Road in Hereford, strongly supported by local residents, are to be resubmitted today (13/11/09) by developers Bovale, despite initial rejection by planners.
The proposed elderly living and care facility would offer an attractive alternative to traditional care options for those wishing to live in a supportive but unobtrusive community, and has been designed to meet an increasing need for such accommodation in the area.
Herefordshire has an older age profile than both the West Midlands and England and Wales with 24% of the county’s population being of state retirement age or above, compared to 19% both regionally and nationally.
Herefordshire Council’s own research predicts a 20% rise in the number of retired people living in the county by 2011, which is almost double that expected for this age group in England and Wales.1 Further research carried out on behalf of Bovale suggests that in Herefordshire there are 14.5 people over the age of 80 for every residential bed available, compared to a national average of 8 for every bed available.
The scheme was turned down two years ago by local planners and at an appeal heard by an independent Inspector at a Public Local Inquiry on the basis that the derelict site, which overlooks Widemarsh Common and is surrounded by residential accommodation on two sides, had been earmarked by the Local Council as employment land. However, according to Charles Collier of Bovale, the proposed care facility will generate some 140 jobs for care professionals and associated staff, whilst improving the site visually and providing acknowledged social service benefits in terms of accommodation and care for the elderly.
The Inspector agreed that the scheme would be beneficial to the local area at the Public Local Inquiry which was held in April 2007 and since then Bovale has investigated opportunities to site the scheme elsewhere in the town. Having completed these investigations, the developer has been unable to identify an alternative, viable site and remains convinced of the merits of a care facility at Faraday Road and the plans have therefore been resubmitted.
“Our design proposals are sympathetic to the setting and we have received widespread support for the redevelopment of the site for a care facility. Local residents are strongly in favour of the scheme and a number of local people have expressed interest in joining a waiting list for accommodation,” he said.
“The planning balance now lies between preserving a vacant employment site that has not received any commercial interest in the last two years, compared to the delivery of a scheme which provides acknowledged social service benefits in terms of accommodation and care for the elderly, whilst generating some 140 jobs and transforming a derelict brownfield site into a high quality, attractive living environment.”
He continued, “We have responded to a request by the Inspector and undertaken a comparative exercise to see if a similar scheme can be provided on a housing site elsewhere within Hereford, however responses from commercial house builders indicate that the land is not available. This means that the people of Hereford will be denied the acknowledged social, care and environmental benefits of this retirement village unless the scheme is approved. We believe that it is in everybody’s best interest for us to resubmit our plans and for the Local Council to give the go-ahead to this innovative, well supported and much needed scheme.”
Notes/ further information:
- 1 Source: press release issued 04/09/2006 by Herefordshire Council
- The number of people aged 85+ in Herefordshire is expected to more than double from 5,000 in 2007 to 10,200 in 2026. Source Herefordshire Council
- The number of people aged 65+ in Herefordshire is set to continue to increase but more rapidly than in recent years. It is expected to be 65% higher in 2016 than in 2007. Source Herefordshire Council
- Across the UK the number of adults over the age of 55 is projected to rise from 28% to 32% of the population in ten years time, that’s 19.3million people. Source:ODPM
The retirement village at Faraday Road would include:
- 97 assisted living units. The accommodation provides occupants with the opportunity to utilise the care and support facilities available elsewhere on the site.
- 59 bed residential care unit which provides support facilities for mobile people who can choose which services they need and those they don’t. Residents also have total flexibility about how long they wish to stay; it may be for as long as is necessary. A wellbeing centre will provide health and beauty services such as massage, holistic therapies and hairdressing.
- 51 bed nursing home to provide 24 hour care. ENDS
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Downing Dunmore PR
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