£8m Newbury care home gets green light

Written by The Editorial Team

Monday, 30 July 2012

PLANS for a multi-million pound care home are a step closer after clearing their first hurdle. Planning bosses at Newbury Town Council unanimously approved the 80-bed care home, which would occupy land adjacent to the Maple Crescent school, at a meeting on Monday last week. Town councillors quizzed developer MedicX about the impact the £8m development would have on the already congested nearby roads, but they were satisfied with representatives' reassurances that the care home would not blight neighbours or motorists. The decision will now be in the hands of West Berkshire Council planners, and Ashley Heath, property director at MedicX, which will own the home, said: "We are delighted to have now received the support of the Town Council and we are hopeful of obtaining a planning consent in October." The care home, which was unveiled at a public consultation in May, would provide 24-hour residential, dementia and nursing care. It will include a dining room, hairdressers, shop and cinema room, as well as a secure garden. The two-and-a-half storey care home would have a maximum of 80 staff working shift patterns - with MedicX and care firm Care UK prioritising employment opportunities for local people.