Top-end bungalow in Sutton could be converted into care home for young adults
One of the top-end bungalows in Sutton could soon be converted into a care home for young adults with learning disabilities and autism.
The modern, sprawling four-bedroom property, with integral garage, lengthy driveway and large garden, is set back from the busy Huthwaite Road at number 125 and is valued by estate agents at well over half a million pounds.
Believed to have been sold in recent months, it is the subject of a change-of-use planning application, submitted to Ashfield District Council by Godfrey Barnes Healthcare, or Godfrey Care, of Derbyshire.
The private company wants to turn the bungalow into “a residential institution for four young adults”, who would be supervised by a team of six carers, working round-the-clock shifts but not living at the home.
Godfrey Care already runs several homes in Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Leicestershire, as well as one in Beeston. And its plan for this one also includes the building of a rear extension and the creation of an outbuilding in the back garden.
A statement, outlining the details of the scheme, has been compiled by the applicant’s agent, Mark Reynolds Architect Ltd, of Burton-on-Trent.
It says: “Godfrey Barnes Healthcare is an innovative provider of specialist residential care for adults with learning difficulties.
"Its ambition is to provide properties for high-quality care in home-from-home environments, offering each individual a personalised service to maximise independence, opportunities and quality of life. It aims to provide a living environment that is similar to a typical family home.”
The statement says the home, which would be registered with the Care Quality Commission, sits on “a generously-sized plot within a peaceful suburban setting that is easily accessible by car or public transport”.
For the conversion, it would need to “undergo internal alterations, along with minor external works”. But these “would cause no visual harm or impact on neighbours’ amenities”.
It was proposed that staff would work seven days a week on two 12-hour shifts running from 7 am to 7 pm and vice versa. Two of the young adults would receive one-to-one care, while the other two would share a single carer, meaning three staff on each shift.
The council’s planning officers are currently considering the proposal and have set a deadline date of Tuesday, November 25 to make a decision or recommendation.
THE details of many planning applications can be found in public notices advertised by local and regional newspapers. To catch up on all the latest public notices, go to https://publicnoticeportal.uk/