Revised plans for Handforth Road care home submitted

Revised plans have been submitted for a care home on a 0.456 hectare site off Handforth Road in Wilmslow.

Altrincham based New Care originally submitted a planning application in March to demolish two four bedroomed detached houses at 51 to 53 Handforth Road in Wilmslow and replace them with an 83 bedroomed three-storey care home. However, due to some objections from the local community a decision was not forthcoming and New Care submitted an appeal to the planning inspectorate for non-determination.

The company has now submitted an amended scheme for a 69 bedroom residential care home arranged over three floors, the third of which is predominately in the roof space. This represents a 17% reduction in bed provision from the original planning application. This has led to a reduction in the footprint of the building and a re-design of the external appearance following advice from Cheshire East's planning department.

The new scheme includes 20 bedrooms on the ground floor, 24 on the first floor and 25 on the second with a residents lounge, dining and day rooms including external terrace, kitchen and staff facilities on each floor.

The revised proposal has a single access and egress for vehicles off Handforth Road into the proposed car park, which provides 26 spaces, including 7 disabled spaces. These have been arranged to enable service and emergency vehicles to enter the site, manoeuvre within the car park and exit in a forward gear to ensure highway safety.

A separate adjacent pedestrian access route runs from Handforth Road directly to the building entrance, without crossing the car park directly. This also serves as a bicycle route leading to the cycle store.

The scheme also includes hard and soft landscaping long with an enclosed refuse and recycling collection area.

Chris McGoff, CEO at New Care, commented "It is disappointing that our proposals for a 'new generation' care facility located in the heart of the community, which is where we believe they should be positioned, has received local objection.

"Cheshire East has a known and well reported shortage of quality beds and this is a problem that has been escalated by a "perfect storm" which will only lead to future closures in the Borough. Our elderly demand to be housed in fit for purpose accommodation that offers basic en suite facilities, promoting dignity, independence, wellbeing and person-centred care. This is exactly what our proposed Handforth Road development seeks to achieve, and it is our aim to deliver another award-winning care home that will become a true community asset."

The plans can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website by searching for planning reference 18/4024M. The last date for submitting comments is October 4th and a decision is expected by 6th November.

Photo: Ashlands Manor, their care home in Sale and proposed site plan.

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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Jon Williams
Saturday 8th September 2018 at 8:14 pm
Looks good, nice spot and needed
Steven Kingsby
Tuesday 11th September 2018 at 8:49 pm
Looks cheap, wrong spot and definitely not needed.
A good spot for J.W. as its not near him , how very selfish. This man is the font of all knowledge and regularly expresses his views on subjects he knows little about.

This article is disgusting, it's totally biased expressing the views of a developer bent on making a killing and does not express one bit the views of the local residents and all those that oppose this carbuncle. The picture in the article is one built in Sale not the proposed one.

Who says there is "a known and well reported shortage of quality beds"? Chris McGoff by any chance? "Quality beds" is a disguise for expensive beds.
On enquiring I contacted 3 nearby care homes, ALL had a vacancy.

This revised scheme is probably near to what they wanted in the first place.
Chris McGoff now apparently knows what all of our elderly demand. Wow, that must have been some opinion poll he carried out, what a star. He is disappointed he received local objection, this man's ego must be bigger than this care home.
Jon Williams
Tuesday 11th September 2018 at 10:44 pm
"A good spot for J.W. as its not near him , how very selfish. This man is the font of all knowledge and regularly expresses his views on subjects he knows little about."

actually Steven I DO know quite a bit about Care Homes !
John Harries
Wednesday 12th September 2018 at 4:47 pm
I'm not going to insult anyone...but Steven Kingsby is certainly correct in stating that this facility is NOT in the least required and the local objections raised here previously reflect that feeling.
I'm not quite sure what 'new generation' actually means (likely new build) and I can come up with one site that is already actually "in the heart of the community", pre-constructed for the purpose (and ripe for refurbishment to 'new generation' standards) plus, here's the bonus, in no need for a change of use order.
If the article text is a direct quote by Mr. McGoff it's sort of detailed (if he wants to sell the idea) but three floors for a care home and no mention of elevator(s) doesn't seem quite thought through, maybe it's actually an up market retirement facility in disguise or should the care home idea fail to pay it's way (and there's plenty of evidence that is happening all over the country) then it can quite easily be converted into luxury apartments overlooking a pleasent Cheshire river valley - can it not!
Jon Williams
Tuesday 2nd October 2018 at 2:10 pm
We now have more need for this Care Home due to Hillside closing in a few weeks