Green light given to new Burntwood dementia care home

This is the third time an application has been submitted for a dementia care home, however a motion to once again reject the plans failed to gain enough support.

The site, set to be located at the former Bridge Cross Garage at Burntwood would have 72 rooms and a community hub.

In May 2024 councillors refused the application for a care home on the site due to increased pressures on the primary care network and the design failing to respect the character and appearance of the surrounding area.

The previous refused application has now been appealed to the planning inspector.

Planning officers could not guarantee that the appeal would be withdrawn if the current plans were approved, however said it is highly likely.

Samantha Crawley, CEO of Bracebridge Care Group, told councillors: “We also know that people living with dementia, if cohorted with people at approximately the same stages of their dementia do much better in their wellbeing.

"Older people who live alongside people living with dementia can often feel uncomfortable, displaced and anxious.

“This often resulting in less than favourable interactions such as dismissive, often angry exchanges with the people living with dementia.

"Our design helps reduce this stress and that means that people’s health remaining for longer as illbeing has been a direct result of high cortisol levels, high cortisol levels equals shorter lived experience.

“I can talk about how well we’ve run care homes and why you should have this home in your area but I think they key aspect of this home being put in your community comes in it’s ability to deliver high sort after dementia nursing care and support needed by the ICB and detailed in the ICB market positioning statement.

"The market positioning statement is clear; dementia care is required particularly in this area.”

Hairdressing and cinema facilities will also be housed at the care home.

It is proposed that 22 car parking spaces will be provided at the rear of the site, with two spaces being accessible spaces and a space will be reserved for an ambulance and delivery vans.

However not all councillors at Lichfield District Council were pleased with the new plans.

Councillor Diane Evans told fellow planning committee members that she still had concerns about the plans and called it overbearing, imposing and detrimental to the streetscene.

She said: “It won’t surprise anybody to know that I’m still really concerned about this application.

"I’m fully aware that dementia care homes are going to be the thing of the future but not in this area.

“It is contrary to the neighbourhood plan and the local plan and many, many hours and an awful lot of money have been put into this and I am going to be repetitious from what I’ve said before.

"Councillors and residents have put time into producing the plan and it now appears it counts for nothing.”

However, Councillor Derick Cross said: “I find it a big improvement to the original application. It’s quite a nice looking building.

"I think it will be an improvement for the area, it would also encourage other developments to come and improve that area which would be a big benefit for Burntwood.”

Despite Councillor Evans putting forward a motion to refuse the application she failed to gain enough support.

Councillor Cross recommended approval of the application, following the officers recommendation and the application was approved.