WORK DUE TO START ON NEW CARE HOME EARLY NEXT YEAR
Construction is planned to start on building a new Derbyshire County Council care home next year.
Plans have been drawn up for a 40-bed home on the site of the former Bennerley School replacing the existing Hazelwood Home for Older People in Cotmanhay.
Wates Construction Ltd has been chosen to build the new care home and now that contracts have been signed work is due to commence on site in late January.
Once complete the £13 million new development will replace the aging home on Skeavington’s Lane which has serious structural issues and requires re-wiring.
The County Council launched a consultation into the future of some of its older care homes which needed significant repairs, including rewiring, to bring them up to modern standards.
After listening to views of Derbyshire residents, Cabinet decided not to close any home until another local care home or alternative provision was put in place and to carry out refurbishments to others to bring them up to the best possible standard.
Councillor Jean Wharmby, the county council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said:
“I am delighted that we will soon be able to start work on a modern new home to replace Hazelwood Home for Older People.
“This purpose-built new home will provide airy, spacious surroundings with modern facilities such as en-suite toilets to ensure our residents are living in accommodation that is fit for their needs.
“We remain committed to helping older people in Derbyshire lead dignified and fulfilled lives which is why we’re proposing to develop local alternatives or investing in our homes which require major repairs to make them fit for the 21st century.
“We had to carry out our consultation given the condition of the buildings, their urgent need for major repairs, the potential costs and the disruption to residents that work would bring about.
“Now we are working on further plans to encourage developers to come and build new homes in line with our accommodation strategy which will also help to boost Derbyshire’s post-Covid economy.”
Designs for the new development off Bennerley Avenue have been drawn up by award-winning architects Glancy Nicholls to the highest dementia-friendly standards.
The two-story building would house 40 bedrooms, each with an en-suite accessible bathroom. Each of the two wings will have its own lounge, dining area and activity room.
There will be communal spaces with a hairdressers, occupational therapy and treatment rooms and a guest room. Outside there will be garden terraces and seating areas for residents and their families to enjoy and raised beds forming an allotment that residents can tend.
Building work is expected to take two years and current Hazelwood residents will be given the option to move to the new purpose-built development when it is completed.
Plans for the site include a multi-use sports pitch for community use.
