Bury St Edmunds community invited to view new Glastonbury Court care home plans

Home news

Sep 16, 2013

Local people living near Glastonbury Court care home on Glastonbury Road in Bury St Edmunds are invited by Care UK to view plans for the bespoke new care home and wellbeing centre to be built on the same site. The exhibition will be held at Horringer Court Middle School from 3.30pm to 7.30pm on Thursday 19^th September.

The team from Care UK and its developer Castleoak will be on hand to answer questions about the plans, which will be on show for local residents to give their feedback before a planning application is made. The new home would accommodate 80 residents in spacious ensuite rooms, with 24-hour nursing care and providing generous living areas, a small cinema, hairdressing salon and café. The bespoke wellbeing centre would have state-of-the-art new day care facilities and services which reflect the needs of older people who are still living in their own homes.

Chris Hopkinson, Regional Operations Director, Care UK said: “We look forward to sharing our proposal for our second new care home and wellbeing centre in Bury St Edmunds and we hope that many members of the community will come along to find out more.”

He added: “The new development will become an extremely important and valuable service for the local community and will help meet the increasing demand for modern, high quality older people’s care, including specialist dementia services.”

Councillor Alan Murray, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Care, said: “We are committed to ensuring Suffolk people have access to high quality care facilities – this new home will form part of delivering on that commitment. However, it is important that local people have an input into the development of the new home. Input from the community will help to ensure that what is delivered truly meets the needs of local people.

I would urge as many people as possible to attend the exhibition and give their views.”

If planning permission is granted for the new care home, construction work could begin in September 2014, after the opening of the brand new Davers Court care home and wellbeing centre in Shakers Lane, where work has already begun.

All residents and their relatives are being carefully consulted with about the proposed changes to Glastonbury Court. If the development gets the green light, the residents would be offered choices, including the option to move to the new Davers Court care home before Glastonbury Court closes for the redevelopment.

Glastonbury Court in Bury St Edmunds is one of 16 existing care homes and eight wellbeing centres which transferred from Suffolk County Council to Care UK, who are investing over £60 million in 10 brand new care homes and 10 new wellbeing centres in the county. These are being built in a carefully phased programme of development. Planning permission has been granted for seven new homes and wellbeing centres and work has already begun on four.  

There are many attractive features in the Glastonbury Court plans which will offer the highest quality care and living standards for residents, including those with dementia, to help them maintain their interests and activities. The gardens would be landscaped with a variety of areas.

The wellbeing centre plan offers a new concept in day care, which Care UK hopes would be shaped by the local community’s needs. Facilities would be state-of-the art and include assisted bathing and services could include day clubs which are activity-led, fun and informal; specialist care for those with dementia and other progressive illnesses; expert health services including a GP clinic and specialist therapy treatments.

For further information on Care UK’s Suffolk development plan visit www.careuk.com/suffolk or call 0333 321 0956.