New jobs as care home planned for Weymouth

A new 66-room care home is being planned off Weymouth’s Radipole Lane close to Weymouth Football Club's Bob Lucus Stadium and police station.

It comes from a Leeds company, LNT Care Developments, which says the site would offer more than 50 full and part-time jobs.

The application is due to be discussed by Weymouth town councillors on October 20th in an online planning committee meeting.

A final decision will be made by Dorset Council.

The proposal says the site would have enough parking for 29 cars with two additional disability spaces as well as room for bicycles.

The company says it has developed more than a hundred care homes since 2005, working in partnership with others, or its own in-house business, Ideal Care Homes.

It says that it tries to make each building as sustainable as possible, including the use of ground source heating and cooling system.

The current planning application proposes to develop the site to provide a L-shaped, three-storey, sixty-six bed residential care home for older people with associated access, parking and landscaping.

Said a statement to Dorset Council:

“The care home is intended very much as a local community care facility, to be occupied and staffed by local people.

“The proposed facility would be fully compliant with modern standards and expectations: providing single-room accommodation throughout; all with en-suite wet room facilities; a generous ratio of communal/recreational space per resident; level access throughout; and vertical lift access between floors. The scheme is to be developed in a configuration which enables the care home to provide general residential and residential dementia care.”

The application says the development would have a positive impact on the area and relate in its character and style to the adjacent Police HQ.

“ There has been demonstrated to be a need for this type of care facility within the area and given the particular characteristics of the plot, there is considered to be a strong case for permitting the development of this important new facility to proceed for delivery during 2021-22.

“The proposed development has been carefully planned and designed to offer a building of an attractive and appropriate appearance to the locality that will offer an important service and local community support facility.”

One letter of objection received so far mentions concerns about whether there is adequate parking on the site for staff and the potential danger of the proposed access close to a bend, another raises concerns about flooding in the area.

Public comments on the scheme remain open until October 21st.

By Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter