Proposals to provide Wokingham borough residents with state-of-the-art specialist dementia care home in the local area took a step forward this week as the Toutley East planning application was approved by the council’s planning committee last night (Wednesday 13 July).
The outline application included proposals for a new 68 bed specialist dementia care home along with up to 130 new homes, extensive landscaping, and a potential new noise buffer to reduce the impact of noise from the nearby A329M. Plans also include direct pedestrian and cyclist links through to the new Matthewsgreen primary school and district centre which sits just to the south of the north Wokingham site.
Cllr David Hare, executive member for health, wellbeing and adult services, said: “Toutley East offers us a great opportunity to make sure that residents, especially those with dementia, have the high-quality and specialist care facilities they will increasingly need in years to come. We want to be proactive in helping people to remain in the local area, close to their families and friends, as well as reducing the high costs of having to place people in homes outside of the borough.
Stephen Conway, deputy leader and executive member for housing, said: “It’s important that we can continue to build the new homes our residents need, especially new affordable homes as we recognise that so many local families are in desperate need. Toutley East, which will deliver at least 45 new affordable homes on site, is a great opportunity to support this ambition and ensure everyone has access to high quality energy efficient homes.”
The application was deferred from the May planning committee to give members of the committee the opportunity to visit the site for themselves and meet council officers for reassurance around concerns raised on access and proximity to the A329M. All of which was shown can be addressed through the detailed design process which will be considered at a later date.
With outline planning consent now in place, and subject to executive approval of a strategic business case later this month (July), work will start to prepare detailed designs for the new care home and infrastructure, with housing designs to follow in due course. Designs will be shared with the local community before submitting to planning for approval
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