Verdict in on attractive new 80-bed care home, five homes and 80 jobs for Warsash

Applicant Brackley Investment Ltd submitted a hybrid application made up of plans to demolish existing buildings and to build an 80-bedoom care home, with car parking and gardens on land west of Lockswood Road, near Fareham.

The plans approved include outline planning and access for five homes on the site. The size and design of the houses will be decided after a future application is submitted.

Fareham Borough Council planning committee approved both parts of the application P/25/0702/FP on September 10.

The two-storey care home will be made up of 80 single occupancy en-suite bedrooms with wet rooms.

Developer Andy Marshall said his company built bespoke care homes. The design divides the building into five smaller parts called “households wings” of 20 bedrooms with a lounge, dining room, and day space.

The council report said dividing the space this way allows care home residents to socialise in smaller and more intimate groups, felling less “institutionalised”.

The site will create 80 jobs, 80 part time and 40 full time.

There are 45 parking spaces, including three accessible spaces, five EV charging spaces and three car share spaces plus cycle and bin storage.

Solar panels will cover the roof area.

There are outside seating areas for residents.

All the trees on site will be retained, and the horticultural greenhouses will be demolished.

There were ten letters of objection received by the council during the planning consultation. Concerns raised included: increased traffic, staff not being able to cycle to work, road safety at the junction on to Lockswood Road and the impact on wildlife and trees.

A previous planning application for this site, reference P/21/1334/OA on November 21, 2023, was approved with outline planning for up to 27 homes for the site. Along with application reference P/21/1335/OA for 11 self-build/custom homes. Both with access from Lockswood Road.

Councillor Steve Dugan (Con, Hill Head) said the care home was a more attractive design than the three-storey design for Henry Road care home in Fareham that the committee had decided on earlier in the meeting.

Councillor Connie Hockley (Con, Titchfield) agreed as she much preferred the two-storey design which was not so much in your face and was delighted with the extra parking.

“I am still to be convinced that we need all these care homes, I know we are an aging population but once we are all dead and gone… there won’t be so many youngsters coming forward and I don’t know what they’ll do with them then,” she said.

The council officer said we know there is a demand for care homes. The whole area is also undergoing a lot of development.

The developer is contributing £549,734 for the off-site development of affordable housing which was recalculated and reduced from £715,000.

The application was unanimously approved by the planning committee.

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