£75m Shrewsbury scheme could make county 'national trailblazer' in social care
A new £75million care community would create more than 150 jobs and could establish Shropshire as a national trailblazer in social care, according to the man behind the plans.
Hencote Continuing Care Community is planning the development for part of the Hencote Estate off Ellesmere Road in Shrewsbury.
The project – a partnership between Senescura and LifeCare Residences – would create 155 new jobs.
The proposal includes 182 extra care and close care apartments and bungalows, as well as a 75 bed nursing home with a specialist dementia unit.
Other elements of the plans include a central amenities building providing support, treatment, fitness and therapy, pool, gym, lounges, restaurant, library, cinema room, communal gardens, and landscaped setting.
The scheme would provide "specialised graduated care as required, with domiciliary care for all".
The Shropshire businessman behind the proposal, Andy Stevens, said Hencote Continuing Care Community would "develop a new model of social care for Shropshire – giving the growing elderly population a genuine choice over where they spend their later years."
Mr Stevens added that the project could also help Shropshire Council by allowing the private sector to carry some of the ‘rapidly-increasing’ burden of meeting social care demands.
“It is impossible to overstate the importance of this scheme for Shrewsbury and Shropshire in general,” Mr Stevens said.
“All the evidence shows that there is a pressing and rapidly-increasing need for privately-delivered specialist housing with care, not just in Shropshire but nationally.
“But the issue is particularly acute in Shropshire where people aged 75+ make up 12 per cent of the population. There are now more than 50,000 people aged 75 or older, with a higher than national average proportion of people over the age of 85.
“On top of that, Shropshire’s population is ageing faster than elsewhere, with one in three residents in Shropshire forecast to be over 65 by the end of the next decade. Elderly care and healthcare experts are highlighting the looming crisis in the provision of care for this important and sizeable demographic.”
Mr Stevens added: “There is a huge opportunity here for Shropshire to be a trailblazer, and adopt an innovative, open-minded approach to social care. We need new ideas and innovations to tackle this crisis which involve the private sector because local authorities simply do not have the budgets.
“We firmly believe that Hencote Continuing Care Community will become a special place, where high quality design and landscape create a new neighbourhood of which Shrewsbury will be proud.
“It will be linked and connected into the town centre by public transport and the site’s electric minibuses, so that older residents can enjoy everything that Shrewsbury has to offer, but in a safe environment with care at hand to meet their evolving needs.
“The county boasts a high level of home ownership and residents can afford to make this choice, if only suitable accommodation were available. The present situation does not offer this. The requirement is here and now, particularly the provision of units for private sale, where the existing supply is very low in spite of high levels of home ownership across the county.
“Moreover the scheme will bring a new business operation and international investment into the town, creating new jobs, increasing spend, boosting local businesses and suppliers.”
A planning application for the development is due to be discussed by Shropshire Council planners in the coming weeks.
