Land use change could allow 70-bed care home

AN application has been submitted by developers to change the use of land at Verbena Court in Melksham East, which may allow plans for a residential care home to progress. If given planning permission, the 70-bed three-storey development would care for people with enhanced needs such as dementia.

The site had previously been earmarked by some local councillors as a possible community hall for the Melksham East estate.

When the Melksham East development was built, the Section 106 agreement – an agreement that reserves funds for community facilities – designated the land for community use, such as for a community centre, medical centre or recycling centre. Wiltshire Council later removed the community use part of the covenant, saying that the community centre facilities could be provided by the local primary school.

Bloor Homes had been due to develop a community hall for the area, at an alternative site on land next to Spa Medical Practice. However, Melksham Town Council took the project over in 2021 after objecting to developers’ plans on the basis that they did not meet the Sport England guidance for the maximum size of community and village halls. It was later suggested that Verbena Court would be a more central location for a community hall.

Melksham Town council’s clerk, Linda Roberts said, “Since 2018, we have been trying to negotiate with the consortium to see if they would consider accommodating a community hall. It’s a little bit sore that the [Melksham East] community dipped out of a community hall when it desperately needs one.”

During 2020 and 2021, pre-applications have been made to build a care home at the site. Development consultants, Gillings Planning, say that both pre-applications have helped shape their current plans which will be submitted to Wiltshire Council shortly.

At the town council’s economic, development and planning committee meeting held on Tuesday 1st August, Gillings Planning shared their plans to build the care home at the site and told councillors it will feature in the heart of the community, responding to an ‘unmet’ need for care beds, within 5km of the area. The care home would be provided by Frontier Estates, a leading UK developer in the care home sector.

After the presentation was given at the council meeting, councillors raised concerns specifically around issues with recruiting carers, traffic in the area around school time, a lack of parking with only 24 spaces, and a lack of close public transport links. Councillors also raised concern about the shortage of care staff in the country and questioned where the staff would be recruited from, particularly as other care facilities in Melksham are in need of staff.

Wiltshire councillor, Mike Sankey said, “We have got a situation where local care companies are in the process of handing back care packages to local authorities because they can’t get staff and hopefully that is an issue that will be addressed.”

Community feedback

Councillors also said that the developers had not done enough to consult the public. Gillings Planning say they sent out a leaflet survey to 900 households in Melksham East, to gain the community’s views. They reported that 38 responded to the survey, with some in support but with comments and others against.

However, councillors did not feel this was enough of a gauge from the community about what they think of the plans. Cllr Jennie Westbrook said, “38 responses out of 900 is appalling. I don’t believe you have done enough community engagement to warrant getting the community on your side.”

Laura Grimason from Gillings Planning said, “We do a lot of these things and you get more comments when people are unhappy. 38 was good because they were not all negative.”

Representing Melksham East residents, cllr Jennie Westbrook said, “I have just spent a lot of time knocking on doors and talking to people and they don’t want this, they are not interested in it. I don’t know if you have closed your consultation but I think you need to try and get some more people because 38 people is not a community.”

A spokesperson from Gillings Planning on behalf of Frontier Estates, the applicant, said, “This proposal seeks to deliver much-needed care accommodation for the elderly through the construction of a 71-bedroom care home.

“This will provide high quality, en-suite accommodation for the elderly, exceeding Care Quality Commission standards, with the capability to deliver both nursing and residential care, including the provision of dementia-specific care.

“This proposal would respond to an identified need for such care provision in the local area, delivering a future-proofed home and bringing with it wide ranging social, environmental and economic benefits for the local area.”

To have your say, visit the Wiltshire Council planning portal –  https://development.wiltshire. gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0i3z00001 AbbIaAAJ/pl202303797?tabset-8903c=2