Have your say on a planning application for homes for older people in Flitwick
Wednesday, 3 February 2021
New plans have been submitted for much-needed homes for older people in Flitwick.
The plans, for the site on Steppingley Road (the site of the former leisure centre), have been split into two parts including a care home, independent living scheme and community facilities on the left-hand side of the site complemented with contemporary homes and apartments on the right-hand side for people who wish to “downsize”.
You can find out more at some virtual information sessions, this month, using Microsoft Teams.
Find out how to book your place for a session.
The independent living scheme (sometimes known as extra care housing) is made up of 88 one and two-bed self-contained apartments for the over 55s, but the scheme offers much more than just an apartment. The scheme will have private recreational facilities, including a private lounge and roof gardens, in addition to shared community facilities like a café/bistro, salon, function rooms and dedicated space for the use of health practitioners. The scheme is especially designed to build a sense of community and friendship between the residents. Crucially, each resident has their own front door, with options to access care according to their needs.
The residential care home will have 72 en-suite rooms, private gardens and is designed to modern standards that deliver excellent infection control.
View the planning application online, where you can make comments until 26 February. Immediate neighbours of the site will have received a letter inviting them to comment.
Find out more about our proposals for Steppingley Road.
Councillor Eugene Ghent, our Executive Member for Housing and Assets, said:
Not only do we know that there is an increasing older population in Central Bedfordshire, but we also know that people are looking for choice. People want to remain independent for as long as possible, but that needn’t mean staying in their family home until it’s too difficult to manage. Independent living schemes offer the best of both worlds, and we would welcome comments from those living in and around Flitwick.
From early work speaking with local residents, we know there was concern about the extra demand on health services, so we’ve deliberately allowed for some space in the building to be used for health provision, if required. People also said that it should feel part of the community and we have included a multi-use space for people to book, whether that’s for parent and baby groups, or book clubs!
The planning application is set to be considered by our Development Management Committee in early May. If approved, work could start in October 2021 and take two years to complete.