New 66-bed care home plan for old Walsall football ground
Plans to build a 66-bed new care home on an old Walsall football ground have been put forward – less than two months after a similar scheme failed.
LNT Care Developments Ltd is looking to take over the former Pelsall Villa Football Club on Walsall Road and erect the new facility there, along with access road, parking and landscaping.
The developer said the home would provide between 50 and 60 jobs as well as providing a much needed service for the community.
In December, a proposal to build a new Aldi store and a care home on the site of Pelsall Villa and the neighbouring Bush Inn public house was rejected by Walsall Council’s planning committee.
Officers recommended refusing the scheme for reasons including the impact on the highway and the harm to heritage assets while residents said the new store who have a negative impact on existing village businesses.
LNT Care Developments said: “This full planning application for a proposed residential care home for the elderly will be submitted as a stand alone application and has no relation to the previous applications and should be considered on its own merit.
“The care home proposed is a purpose-built, two-storey, 66-bedroom residential care facility for older people with associated access, parking and landscaping.
“The development of the site is required to provide a modern compliant care home to meet current government standards.
“It is anticipated that some 50-60 jobs would be created working to a rotational shift pattern of employment, however, only up to a maximum of 24 members of staff would be present on site at any one time, due to the shift pattern and staggered shift changes that would occur.
“The proposed development would be very much a local community facility.
“Residents of the home would be expected to emanate from an area no more than three miles from the site or be associated with families/relatives that reside within this same catchment.
“The majority of the jobs created at the care home would also be expected to be filled by suitable candidates from the same local area.
“The proposed care home would provide an important local support service and offer high quality care accommodation outside the local authority and primary care trust services and functions.
“In addition, the facility would not burden existing health and social care
services, as there will be economies and efficiencies of scale for local health care practitioners, in visiting the elderly in need of care from the local area in this one location.”
They added: “The development of this site for a new purpose-built care home will have impact upon the area by developing the site for a use that would be beneficial and fulfil a need, whilst providing a development sympathetic in terms of its scale and design.
“The development would bring economic benefits by creating more employment and economic activity, both during construction and in the long-term operation of the home.
“Overall it is considered that a positive design approach has been adopted in respect of the proposed development scheme.
“The proposed care home scheme should provide a form of development that would positively enhance the character of the surrounding area, whilst also offering an important local community service and employment.”
