Plans for a replacement care home are set to be given the green light by councillors. 

The proposals by Runwood Homes for the demolition of an existing care home and erection of a new-build 74 bed care home with associated vehicle parking, amenity space, and detached bin store at Brewster House, Oak Road, Heybridge, are recommended for approval. 

Maldon District Council's central area planning committee are set to agree the plans at a meeting on December 18. 

The plans are for the demolition of the existing care home and construction of the new, purpose built 74 bed care home. 

The existing care home provides dementia and residential care and this is also how the proposed care home would operate.

In addition, to the 74 en-suite bedrooms, the building would provide a number of dayrooms / lounges, assisted bathrooms, a hairdressers and a cinema room. 

The ground floor accommodates the back of house facilities in the form of kitchen, laundry, and staff room. 2no. lifts would be provided within the building.

The development would be taller in height than the building it replaces but given the mix of heights of buildings within the locality. The council planning officer's report states "this would be acceptable. 

There would be no unacceptable impacts to neighbouring amenity."

 The report adds: "Whilst it is noted that this replaces an existing care home and does not extend the number of bedrooms provided, it would provide an improved quality in such provision, with the development designed to support and meet the needs of its target residents. 

"As noted above, there is no objection to the demolition of the existing building that does not positively contribute to the character and appearance of the locality. 

In terms of a layout and footprint, the proposed building would generally follow the same layout as the existing.

"Overall, in terms of future occupiers' amenity, the development would deliver a good quality of life with high quality internal and external amenity provision.  

Overall, the proposal is of a layout, scale, design and appearance that would result in a high quality development that would be appropriate for its context and would follow the good design principles set out in adopted development plan policies and the Maldon District Design Guide  Supplementary Planning Documents."