Backing for £30m Telford care home scheme

The care home, will be built alongside 92 homes in Arleston.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Redrow Homes has acquired the major scheme to build 92 houses and a 50-suite care facility on land between Arleston Lane and Dawley Road that was given the green light last year.

Councillors pushed for the original proposals to be amended over concerns about the design of the new 18-acre estate on land near Arleston Manor including the number of parking spaces for staff at the care unit that will be operated by Fair Home Group, and reducing the number of houses from 103 to 92.

The shape of the care home has also been changed from a U shape to H shape.

Fair Home Group will run the extra care centre which is being proposed in lieu of affordable homes at the 18-acre development which is situated to the rear of Wrekin Retail Park. The facility will feature 24 one-bedroom flats and 26-two bedroom flats. The communal area will comprise a shop, restaurant, a meeting room, a salon, laundry and scooter charging area.

Now, the plans will appear before Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee next week, where they have been recommended for approval by officers.

In its comments, Wellington Town Council, said it does not think that the facility warrants a development of this size in the green network.

It says: "The council also wished to raise the further comments that there would be difficult access to and from the development site; an increase in the number of traffic movements both along Dawley Road and Arleston Lane; that there was a lack of additional community facilities that had been included on the original outline approval and that the site had not been designated as housing land in the new draft local plan."

In her comments ward member, Councillor Angela McClements, asked the members take on board the concerns of local residents.

In consultation with the developers, residents raised concerns about the three-storey care building, and about access onto the site.

But despite concerns, officers have recommended that members of the committee grant permission when the plans are discussed at the meeting on Wednesday at the Whitehouse Hotel in Wellington.

But they have called for the developers to make financial contributions to the local area through Section 106 agreements, including £248,663 towards primary educational facilities through the expansion of Wrekin View School; the provision of open space, including an area for 10 allotments, and play facilities on site as well as an off site play area contribution of £25,000 towards play area works at John Broad Avenue, with a maintenance contribution of £15,000.

If approved, developers must also pay £10,000 towards improvements works to three bus stops along Kingsland, £5,000 provision of support and monitoring of the required travel plan, £7,000 towards re-location of the 40mph speed limit along Dawley Road and covering the costs associated to the amendments of associated signing and lining and amendments to the traffic regulation order.

In April 2016 councillors deferred a decision on the plans to allow case officers to work with the applicants to improve the design.

Plans for the development was given outline permission, and members of the committee were expected to approve the layout.

But members of the planning committee said they were concerned that there was not enough parking for staff working at the care centre complex, that the design of the extra care facility would struggle to attract potential operators, and that it would dominate the landscape of the Arleston area.