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Heathlands care home is set to be demolished and replaced with an up-to-date living space.
Work on a new care home for dementia sufferers could start next month after planning bosses said yes to a 66-bed facility proposal.
Heathlands care home, based in Wildridings, has been closed since February 2016 but since 2017 health chiefs have been working on multi-million-pound redevelopment plans.
Designs for the revamped site were sent to Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) in December 2019 and now planning experts have approved the proposal.
Councillor Dale Birch said: “I’m delighted that the proposals for the redevelopment of the Heathlands Care Home have reached this milestone.
“Work to progress this much-needed facility can now continue in earnest.
“Once fully operational, this joint NHS and council-funded facility will provide specialist care for patients suffering from dementia or transitioning from leaving hospital.
“It will offer respite care to those who need it most, in a safe, clean and professional environment.”
Redeveloping Heathlands will see a range of new features added to support those with physical, sensory and cognitive impairments.
This includes two communal gardens with “distinctively different identities” designed to sustain residents’ independence for longer.
Preliminary work at the site is scheduled to start before March 2020, with main work set to get underway in the spring.
A completed, fully-operational care home is expected to welcome patients by autumn 2021.
Bracknell Forest Council and East Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are jointly funding the project, with the former expected to contribute £7 million towards the scheme, with the latter anticipated to add another £3 million.
Fiona Slevin-Brown, East Berkshire CCG’s executive managing director for Bracknell Forest, said: “We are very excited to be working with council colleagues on the redevelopment of the Heathlands Care Home, which will enable the improved quality of care services available for our local residents.”
BFC’s top team will meet on Tuesday, February 11, to approve the appointment of a contractor for the works.
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