£8million care home for former Winchcombe school site approved

West Berkshire Council gave healthcare developers MedicX the green light on Wednesday following a unanimous vote from members of the Western Area Planning Committee.
The £8m three-storey care home, to be built in Maple Crescent on the site of the Winchcombe School’s former playing field (pictured), sailed through in near record time following support from several councillors.
Northcroft district councillor Gwen Mason (Lib Dem) has been working closely with several parties, including the school, to get the care home built and said she was delighted to see it approved.
“It is a fantastic scheme and these homes are badly needed in Newbury and West Berkshire,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of Newbury Town Council, Jo Day (Northcroft), added that she felt the public had been well consulted and would be pleased with the new development, which would be an asset to the town.
Concern over the impact of extra traffic on the A339 and the burden placed on residents of Maple Crescent is to be addressed in a travel plan, which councillors demanded be drawn up before work begins.
The upper tier of the building will be the only secure element to the care home.
Plans for 20 homes at the site were approved in March 2011 but later scrapped, as MedicX moved in with their offer to build a 24-hour care home for those with nursing and dementia care needs.
Committee member Roger Hunneman (Lib Dem, Victoria), said: “It is a magnificent project and makes much better use of the land than just more residential units. There are a group of people who badly need this.”
It will create about 60 jobs.
Representatives from MedicX were present to explain the finer details of the plan, which will begin ahead following successful negotiation of a number of conditions.
Sales from the proceeds were ploughed into the redevelopment of the school.