New care home plan to create 24 jobs

The owners of the former Westwood Hotel in Tettenhall Road, which was damaged by fire in November, are hoping to turn it into a 30-bedroom nursing home.

The centre will cater for people aged over 55, and each resident will benefit from having en-suite facilities, with the scheme going to the city council planning committee for consideration on Tuesday.

Four letters of objection have been received by the council, based around concerns over traffic congestion and loss of neighbour amenity.

Birkdale Homes UK, which is based in the city, wants to build a single and a two-storey rear extension under the plans. The report going to the committee says the extensions would create a "horseshoe-shaped" development, which would be open ended and face Tettenhall Road.

There will be 20 car parking spaces at the front of the building for staff and visitors.

Officers are recommending that the proposal is given delegated approval, meaning it will be up to regeneration chief Steve Boyes to finalise the deal in private.

The developers will be asked to contribute some money towards a new piece of public art in the city in return for permission, and satisfy the authority refuse storage and drainage issues are satisfactory. The report says: "The proposal is one which is considered acceptable for the site, and the scheme is one which will provide, when complete, new employment opportunities and the re-use of empty buildings which are of historic merit.

"The proposed extensions would demonstrate a high standard of architectural design, and be in scale and character with the surroundings.

"There would be 24 part-time and full-time jobs created. The development cost is likely to be approximately £2.5 million."

The 19th century building was attacked by arsonists when they broke into the building at 6am and set fire to the reception area.

It has been closed since May last year and over the last few months, the future of the building had been a mystery.