Decision day for specialist care home plan at former car sales site
Plans for a specialist care home development on a former car sales garage site are set to go before Sunderland councillors for decision next week.
Sunderland City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee are set to discuss plans for the long-vacant former car sales site in the Castle ward.
The land sits on the junction of North Hylton Road and Castletown Way, near the recently built Lidl supermarket.
After being demolished and cleared around 10 years ago, the former car sales site is largely vacant, with part of the land used as a hand car wash facility.
New proposals from applicant Verum Victum Healthcare aim to build a large specialist care home on the site catering for a range of needs.
A 94-unit care home is proposed, made up of 58 apartments for extra care, specialist care and assisted living accommodation and a 36-bed intermediate care facility.
Submitted designs show the building forming an ‘F’ shape, with the main focus around a ‘horseshoe’ section with a central communal garden, and dedicated parking facilities.
A planning statement submitted with the application adds the facility would enhance independence as well as providing specialist dementia care and provision to
“support the timely discharge from hospital”.
During public consultation
on the plans, one comment was received asking about the business that currently
operates on the site.
A council report confirmed that if planning permission is granted for the care home, “the temporary car wash facility on the site would cease”.
Sunderland City Council’s planning department have deemed the care home scheme acceptable and recommended it for approval, subject to conditions.
A report prepared for decision-makers said the plans would “provide a community facility and contribute to meeting a specialist housing need”.
The council report adds 26 members of staff would be employed at the care home, with 21 working during the daytime and five working overnight.
A final decision on the plan rests with councillors on the Planning and Highways Committee today.