Plans have been drawn up for a new care home to replace an existing facility, with 74 rooms, a café and hairdressers. 

Runwood Homes has submitted the plans to Maldon District Council to replace its Brewster House care home in Oak Road, Heybridge, with a 74 bedroom care home set over three floors.

The company's website says the current care facility is a 74-bed residential and dementia care home that "offers person-centred care and an established community for our residents to thrive."

The plans say all bedrooms will be a minimum of 21 sqm with en‐suite facilities and fully integrated shower wet rooms.

Additional day space areas are also proposed to improve the resident's quality of life and support independent living. 

The proposals also say that a café has been designed to support residents living with dementia and will allow residents to welcome in loved ones and family members in an area that is not their individual rooms, home lounges, and dining rooms, and it will offer baked goods, and coffee and tea.

If agreed by the council the new care home would have a hairdressers on the first floor, as well as a therapy room.

A design and access statement for the proposed facility says: "The focus of the design centres around dementia care and future proofing the facility. We have recently completed several other facilities to similar standard.

"You will see from the landscaping proposal that a focus has been made on outdoor space and the provision of planting and sitting out areas for residents.

"Whilst the policy focuses on how a development can positively respond to the physical environment to promote healthy communities and wellbeing it also encompasses how a development can contribute to healthy communities and wellbeing through, for example, design and ensuring good quality adaptable internal space with good natural light and opportunities to socialise and enjoy outdoor space is designed in.

"Residents will be able to enjoy and socialise outside the building and to enjoy the open air in an attractive setting, the landscaping proposal provides sensory stimulation."

The replacement plans come after a report by the Care Quality Commission that the service "Requires Improvement".

This was after the inspection uncovered three breaches of the legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, safeguarding and governance.

Maldon District Council is expected to make a decision on the plans by Wednesday, November 6.