NHS hopes to open new eating disorder clinic in Taunton
The facility would provide psychological support to children with eating difficulties
Offices in Taunton could become a residential home for children and young people with eating disorders if plans are approved.
Swingbridge House lies at the corner of Acacia Gardens and Swingbridge in the Bathpool area of Taunton, a short distance from the Monkton Heathfield urban extension.
The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (which runs the town’s hospital) has applied to convert the property into a “child and adolescent eating disorder facility”, providing much-needed treatment and support to local young people.
Somerset Council is expected to make a decision on the plans by the early-summer.
The facility is designed to “offer practical and psychological support to children and young adolescents with eating difficulties, providing an alternative to hospital admission”.
A range of treatment will be provided on site, including psychological therapies, “sensory-related intervention” and access to education.
The building would be restructured to allow up to two patients and two family members to stay on site at any one time, with the front car park being reconfigured and the rear car park being resurfaced.
Solar panels will also be installed on the roof of the building to reduce the facility’s energy bills.
A spokesman for The Urbanists design studio (representing the NHS trust) said: “The proposed development would create a community-based facility, which would provide wider benefits not just for the users but also reduce the demand on local hospital sites.
“The minor changes proposed to the building accord will deliver a well-designed scheme that reflects the character of the local context and reduces impacts on adjoining occupiers.
“It would not diminish the biodiversity value of the site, and would have a negligible impact on nutrient neutrality following mitigation. The scheme would also not have an adverse impact on flood risk.”
West Monkton Parish Council said it was supportive of the proposals, but raised concerns about the lack of parking and the amount of additional traffic that the facility would generate.
Parish clerk Amy Shepherd said: “The proposed facility, its patients, visitors and employees will increase traffic movements on Acacia Gardens.
“Swingbridge and Acacia Gardens is a route used by children and young people travelling to and from Monkton Wood Academy.
“There have been road safety incidents with the existing traffic movements that navigate the cars parked on Acacia Gardens, and an increase in movements (and parked cars) could lead to an increase in the number of incidents and impact on road safety in the area.
“A plan of how emergency service vehicles will access the site and park that is sympathetic to the residential nature of the area should also be provided.”
Somerset Council is expected to make a final decision on the proposals in the coming months.