£7m luxury care home is approved (From Basildon Recorder)

£7m luxury care home is approved

10:30am Friday 18th December 2009

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PLANS to build a £7million luxury care home in Billericay have been welcomed by the community.

Hallmark Healthcare’s 70-bed home, in Outwood Common Road, received unanimous backing from planning chiefs after residents voiced their support.

Basildon Council’s planning committee approved the facility after hearing it will create 70 jobs and plug a gap in the town for nursing care.

Sue Earrey, from Hallmark, told committee members: “There is nowhere in Billericay which provides nursing care.”

Hallmark Healthcare bought the site from Waltham Forest Council in February, after it failed to sell at auction with a guide price of £550,000.

As part of the agreement for planning permission, Hallmark will make a £10,000 contribution towards improving open spaces at Lake Meadows Park, in Billericay.

The home will have a cinema, hair salon, therapy and quiet rooms, a family function room and a community room. It should be built by spring 2011.

Councillor Geoff Buckenham said: “This a wonderful facility in exactly the right location.”

Mum-of-two Susan Woods, of Outwood Common, said: “I support this development, but we have a problem with traffic speeding along a bend in the road here and I am worried this will make things worse.”

The committee agreed to ask Essex County Council’s highways department to look into road safety at the site before all seven members voted in favour of the home.

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