Plans approved for a new care home and wellbeing centre at Mills Meadow in Framlingham

Company news

May 23, 2013

A state-of-the-art new Framlingham care home for older people and a wellbeing centre which will offer day care clubs and activities for older people who live independently in the wider community have been granted planning approval by Suffolk Coastal District Council.

The new care home to be built by Care UK will accommodate 60 residents and will provide nursing as well as residential care. The home will be built in two phases to allow residents to stay on site and minimise disruption to their normal day-to-day routines.

The plans have been adapted to incorporate feedback given at the community public consultation event. Care UK has increased the parking spaces from 27 to 40 to address local parking concerns. A further meeting was held with residents living close to the site and planning approval was deferred to allow the planning committee to visit the site.

Chris Hopkinson, regional operations director at Care UK, said: “We are very pleased to have been granted planning approval for the new care home in Framlingham. We have worked closely with the community to ensure we provide a care home that not only suits the residents but is also in-keeping with the surrounding area.

“There is currently a shortfall of specialist nursing and dementia beds in Suffolk and this new care home is a step towards addressing this issue and meeting our and Suffolk County Council’s vision for the future of residential care in the county.”

Construction on the Mills Meadow site is due to begin in summer 2013, with completion of the first phase scheduled for summer 2014. Work on phase two of the development is due to start in late summer 2014 with the care home and wellbeing centre completed in June 2015.

Residents of Mills Meadow will continue to live in the current building during phase one of the development and will then move into the new area during phase two. Nearby in Wickham Market residents of Lehmann House care home will have the choice to move into the bespoke new home when it opens. After all residents have moved Lehmann House will close.  

The design of the new care home, which will provide nursing care and specialist dementia care services, is spacious, light and airy, with many communal areas for residents to meet with family, friends and fellow residents. The generously sized bedrooms are all en-suite with shower facilities and to give a homely feel, small groups of residents will share their own dining room and lounge. The new home also has a garden with sitting area and attractive facilities including a café, hairdressers and a small cinema.

The wellbeing centre will provide day care activities and clubs which will help older people to maintain their independence for longer in their own homes and give valuable respite services for family carers.

The planning approval for the new care home at Mills Meadow in Framlingham is the fifth successful application in what will be a carefully coordinated and phased £60 million investment programme by Care UK in 10 new care homes and 10 wellbeing centres in the county between now and 2016. The first planning application was approved in January for a new care home and well-being centre in Chantry, Ipswich, with the second in Mildenhall in February, third at Davers Court in Bury St. Edmunds and the fourth at Roman Hill in Lowestoft.

On 1st December 2012 Care UK took over responsibility for Suffolk County Council’s existing 16 residential care homes and eight wellbeing centres, welcoming over 500 residents. At the same time over 900 former Suffolk County Council employees transferred on their existing terms to be part of the Care UK team.

By 2016 the new homes and wellbeing centres will replace all Suffolk County Council’s former homes and wellbeing centres which date mainly from the 1960s and 1970s.

For further information see www.careuk.com/suffolk or call 0333 321 0956.