Up to 70 jobs are set to be created at a new care home after planning permission was granted by Shropshire Council.
The 68-bed complex will be built next to the new Aldi supermarket in Wrexham Road, Whitchurch, and will provide residential, nursing and specialist dementia care for older people.
The application was lodged with the council last year by Liberty Care Developments, who said the facility would address a growing demand for care beds in the area and would enable people to remain living in their community.
Bedrooms will be arranged into four wings, with communal areas and a cafe, hairdressers and ‘pub’ for residents also included.
Outside there will be secure gardens and 28 parking spaces for staff and visitors, as well as cycle storage.
The applicant says the development will “infill” the plot of land between the supermarket and homes in Waterfront View.
The home will be operated by Anavo Group and is expected to open in 2023, with work set to begin next year.
Whitchurch Town Council supported the application, saying: “The development would be an asset to Whitchurch, responding to an obvious need, with a high-quality design.”
There were however 10 objections from members of the public, who said traffic on Wrexham Road was already “dangerously high”. Objectors also raised concerns over ecology and wildlife, and argued that future residents of the home would be impacted by noise from the supermarket and traffic.
The Canal and Rivers Trust requested a number of conditions on things like landscaping and drainage in order to minimise the impact on the Llangollen Canal, which runs along the back of the site and is recognised as a non-designated heritage asset.
The gardens to the new home will be fenced off before the ground slopes down towards the canal, with the area to be left as a “natural meadow”.
The application has now been approved by planning officers who deemed it did not need to go before the northern planning committee.
Ed Moore, co-founder of Anavo Group said: “We are delighted to receive planning permission to build a state-of-the art care home in Whitchurch.
“Anavo’s commitment is to making a big difference to people’s lives.
“When completed in 2023, the home will create additional jobs and opportunities for local suppliers, as well as providing much needed purpose-built, high quality care for older people in the area.”
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