Plans unveiled for new 72-bed care home in Ringwood – with a cinema, bar and salon

PLANS for a 72-bed care home in Ringwood featuring a cinema, bistro bar and hairdressing salon are set to be decided by New Forest District Council.

The scheme by Frontier Estates seeks to develop land off Hopclover Way, which is part of a larger site off Crow Lane which features 195 new houses built by Linden Homes.

Described as a much-needed facility, the application also includes plans for landscaped gardens, 32 parking spaces and staff lounges and facilities.

Planning documents reveal the 72 en suite bedrooms will be laid out in four living groups with less frail residents accommodated on the ground floors to allow access to small private gardens, and those with more profound needs housed upstairs.

A design statement accompanying the application states: “Each group will have its own dayrooms for dining, sitting and activities. There will be benefits from some day rooms being linked by moveable partitions.

“There must be flexibility over time to allow the mix of residents to change as circumstances vary. It is important that movement through and around the home allows for independent access to each group without the disturbance to residents of passing through one unit to gain access to another.”

As well as creating a number of new jobs, it is claimed the development will also help met a significant need for new specialist accommodation for older people.

The planning statement continues: “The development will be the home for remaining life for residents.

“This type of development is known to be good neighbourly with minimum visual or noise impact on surrounding properties and with limited traffic movements and parking demand.”

The care home will be located a minimum of 60m from the nearest neighbours, and gardens will be professionally landscaped with activity zones, dementia-friendly zones and relaxation spaces.

The main building has been designed in relation to neighbouring properties in Castleman Trail, Crow Arch Lane and Hightown, Industrial Estates.

Windows will be larger than normal with lower sills to allow wheelchair and bedbound residents views of the gardens. External walls will feature red brick, red hung tiles, white render and weatherboard cladding.

The planning statement concludes: “Not only does providing tailor-made accommodation ease the demand on care services, but it also frees up family-sized housing, allowing other residents to move up the property ladder.”

The application will be considered by NFDC before January 25th 2021.