Dudley nursing home wants to double in size, with 40 extra bedrooms

Russell Court Care Home, in Overfield Road, Dudley, has applied for permission to build a new wing which will include 40 extra bedrooms.

At the moment the building has caters for 42 residents, but the operator has applied for permission to build 40 further bedrooms, as well as extra communal space for residents.

The developer originally planned a three-storey extension, which would have created an extra 22,324 sq ft in floorspace, and an extra 50 bedrooms.

However, on advice from the planning department, the extension was scaled back to 40 bedrooms, adding an extra 15,026 sq ft to the complex.

The new bedrooms would be between 156-176 sq ft in size, considerably larger than government guidelines, the application says.

"The position of the main proposed extension is set back from the road behind the existing wing in order to minimise its visual impact from Overfield Road," it adds.

"It would be screened by the existing and new trees and hedgerows to the boundary and by the existing building itself."

Eleven trees will be felled to make way for the development, but new trees would be planted elsewhere.

A small single-storey extension is also proposed for the front entrance, replacing a poor-quality temporary timber canopy.

"The new extension would improve the entrance experience by providing more space for soft seating, refreshments and a reception desk, as well as an additional space for a residents’ hair salon," said the applicant.

"These spaces would overlook new soft landscaping positioned to the front."

The applicant said the extra rooms were much-needed to cope with growing demand.

The proposals will now be considered by the council's planning department.