New Walsall care home to bring 90 full-time jobs

The proposals, lodged with Walsall Council by Perry Barr company Willinbrook Health Care, will see land at the former block works site on Chester Road transformed into a home for people with mental or physical illnesses.

The application states that 90 full-time jobs will be created at the site.

Councillor John Murray, who represents Aldridge Central and South, said: "The whole thing is good news, especially the creation of the jobs.

"It is also important to remember that this would bring into use a disused area of the borough and get people living and working there.

"It is not an application that will bring any problems from the public either, it is bringing the site into good, practical use."

He added: "Aldridge has a high proportion of elderly residents so there is always a need for this kind of facility.

"I look forward to it being built and hopefully the creation of so many jobs will provide a boost for the area."

A statement attached to the proposal reads: "It is intended that the proposal will provide a much-needed facility in the local area for older people with heavily dependant nursing and dementia needs and will be designed and built to Willinbrook Healthcare's benchmark specification, underpinned by national research.

"The new home will provide 24-hour support for persons with high dependency needs centred on dementia, enduring mental illness and movement disorders."

Addressing concerns over building on green belt land within the proposal, a statement continued: "The replacement of the former block manufacturing place and its attendant hardstanding with a specialist care home development of high quality design would deliver a significant improvement to the green belt in visual and environmental terms.

"It will provide specialist care for those residents who live within the borough.

"On this basis, these matters amount either individually or cumulatively to very special circumstances in support of the proposal."

The multi-million pound scheme for the new specialist care home on green belt land had been left in limbo as early as May last year.

It was recommended for refusal due to the design and highways issues – which have since been addressed for the new proposal.