Development of care home and apartments approved for business park site

A site within a Leicestershire business park has been designated for the construction of a new dementia care facility, featuring 70 beds, alongside 22 extra care apartments. Staveley Gardens Development Company Ltd, the applicant, stated in initial documents from 2021 that a section of Melton Mowbray’s Pera Business Park is slated for redevelopment to include a four-storey care home and a distinct apartment building. On Monday, Melton Borough Council granted approval for an updated proposal and the alteration of land use, which now includes a care home with seven fewer beds and eight fewer apartments compared to the initial submission. Situated on the eastern section of the property, adjacent to Nottingham Road, the care home will feature a tiered design, incorporating terrace gardens on the rooftop of each floor. Within the Pera site, a new junction is planned, necessitating the removal of a lime tree to facilitate access to a central parking zone located within a park-like setting. The submitted application described the forthcoming facility as “state-of-the-art” and “forward-thinking”. The residential units are intended to provide residents with convenient access to outdoor areas, achieved through an open-plan layout and south-facing terraces on every floor. According to the documents, “Traditional care home design only gives residents on the ground floor free-flow access, and the majority of other residents have to manage with just a view and do not benefit from the enrichment of being outside.” This project forms a component of Pera’s broader “masterplan” aimed at “release value” from “under-utilised” sections of the business park. Planning documentation indicates that the care home is projected to generate up to 100 employment opportunities and will also contribute to addressing the needs of Melton’s growing elderly population.