Age UK announces day centre plans for mobile home park
Age UK has announced plans to open a new day centre on a mobile home park in Kingswinford.
The charity has submitted plans to transform the bungalow at the mobile home park on Hinksford Lane into a centre for the elderly.
It is proposing to relocate services there from its Orton Meadows day centre in Wombourne, which Age UK has deemed "financially unsustainable."
The Hinksford Lane site is currently owned by South Staffordshire Council and has been vacant for more than two years.
In a statement supporting the scheme, Age UK Staffordshire CEO Carl Bennett said: "This application will utilise a council-owned building that has been vacant for over two years to provide a valued community service supporting older people experiencing dementia and issues relating to ageing.
"Age UK Staffordshire will move delivery of day opportunities to the Hinksford site. The site is suitable with some subtle improvements to access/presentation and a general clean up.
"It will soon become a great example of how two organisations can work together to support a key community/population."
Earlier this year Age UK submitted a 'change of use' application for Orton Meadows to revert from a business to a dwelling house.
A statement explaining the move said: "At present, it is only possible to cost-effectively use the lower floor of the facility. There is no requirement to use the first floor, due to low demand.
"Consequently, the charity feels that this is unsustainable, financially and in terms of resources.
"This facility is only a small part of the charity’s services, when considering the breadth and remit of services offered. This specific location only allows the charity to access clients in the Wombourne and Swindon areas.
"Sourcing clients from other geographic locations is challenging, mostly for the clients as the journeys are considered “unsustainable” in planning terms. The location is too remote.
"Those accessing the facility over the past two years have shown that the facility is operating at 48 per cent capacity. The charity is extremely cognisant that it cannot be wasting precious financial resources.
"The charity is committed to relocating the service to another location."
