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Public Engagement at Cumberland

Public Engagement

Public Engagement|Planning for the future of Cumberland care home

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Public Engagement

Care UK is planning for the future of Cumberland care home

Planning proposals are currently in the early stages and it is not expected that the home will be affected until at least 2024, should planning permission be granted and Care UK decide to proceed with the works.

The proposed redevelopment of Cumberland care home will deliver significant improvements on the existing building and would allow Care UK to build and operate a home that meets its modern standards and requirements. These proposals would ensure that it can continue to build on, and improve, its care offering to the Mitcham community, as well as futureproofing for infection control given the recent Covid-19 pandemic. 

The proposed new fit-for-purpose building would have a new layout, which would allow Care UK to provide an overall higher standard of care to residents and would allow residents to enjoy an increased level of privacy, as well as complying with the regulatory standards set by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 

Quick links

The proposal

Care UK’s proposals for the redevelopment of the Cumberland care home would deliver the following:

  • A fit-for-purpose, 64-bedroom home - increasing the capacity for care from 53 residents - in an up-to-date building, which is better able to meet the needs of residents and on-site colleagues. The Government has said that “the need to provide housing for older people is critical”. Specifically, the London Plan requires an average of 867 new care home beds per year, while a needs assessment has identified a current need for 262 care home beds in Merton, which will increase to 320 by 2025. These proposals will support fulfilling this need and the need for specialist care accommodation.
  • A new layout which allows the home to be split into suites, giving more privacy to residents and surrounding properties, creating space for larger bedrooms, each with an ensuite and access to high-quality outdoor amenity space, and increasing communal space and ancillary provision to allow for a greater level of care.
  • A Travel Plan to influence staff and visitors to use forms of transport other than cars to reduce traffic, minimise parking demand, and promote active lifestyles.
  • Continue to reduce pressure on the local community and health facilities.
  • A new building without the need to use greenfield land, as the proposals will revitalise previously developed land in a sustainable location.
  • Temporary and permanent local employment – should planning permission be granted, local jobs would be created during the construction phase, and once the new home is built, there would be continued employment on the site.
  • Improved local economic prosperity – the families of residents, and the care home staff will contribute to Mitcham’s economy, bringing additional expenditure to local shops and amenities.

The site plan above shows the proposed layout of the redeveloped home, which is similar in size to the existing Cumberland care home. 

Read more about the proposal

Residents, relatives and colleagues

Given the very early stage that the proposals are currently at, current residents, their relatives, and Care UK colleagues at Cumberland are not expected to be affected by these redevelopment proposals until at least 2024. 

Should planning permission be granted, a decision will then be made on the future of the home. Further engagement will then be undertaken with residents and their relatives, as well as Care UK colleagues, to ensure that any decisions on the future of the home are fully communicated to all those affected, with all available options fully explained.

More information for residents, relatives and colleagues

Have your say

Care UK is committed to considering the views of the local community before submitting a planning application to Merton Council. In order to properly understand your feedback, we held a public consultation period between Monday 22 May and Sunday 25 June 2023. We held an in-person drop-in event on 13 June, and the boards which were on display at the event can be viewed. 

We will now carefully consider the feedback we received during the consultation period, and respond to any concerns raised, ahead of submitting a planning application later on this year. You can still get in touch with the project team regarding the proposals using the details below. 

Get in touch

FAQs

There are currently no plans to close Cumberland care home. Care UK held a public consultation period between Monday 22 May and Sunday 25 June 2023, and is now carefully considering feedback received ahead of submitting a planning application in the Autumn. Should planning permission be granted and should Care UK decide to proceed with these proposals, it will give further notice of its plans and fully support its residents and on-site colleagues throughout any transition period. 

Care UK is proposing to redevelop Cumberland care home, so that they can continue to provide the highest possible care to residents of the future. The would increase the capacity for the provision of care from 53 residents to 64, in an up-to-date building.

Wider benefits to the proposals include creating local jobs, both during construction and once operational, and a high Biodiversity Net Gain on-site.

Care UK held a public consultation period between Monday 22 May and Sunday 25 June 2023, and is now carefully considering feedback received ahead of submitting a planning application in the Autumn. 

Cumberland was built at a time when expectations of a care home were very different – for example, few would have expected their own fully equipped ensuite bathroom when the home opened more than 25 years ago, but for many this is now a standard expectation. 

In order to continue to provide the highest quality care for the community of Mitcham, Care UK believe that the building would need to be updated.

There is currently no date planned for redevelopment to begin. The proposals are at an early stage - Care UK held a public consultation period between Monday 22 May and Sunday 25 June 2023, and is now carefully considering feedback received ahead of submitting a planning application in the Autumn. Should planning permission be granted and should Care UK decide to proceed with these proposals, it will give further notice of its plans and fully support its residents and on-site colleagues throughout any transition period. 

There are currently no plans to close Cumberland care home. Care UK held a public consultation period between Monday 22 May and Sunday 25 June 2023, and is now carefully considering feedback received ahead of submitting a planning application in the Autumn. Should planning permission be granted and should Care UK decide to proceed with these proposals, it will give further notice of its plans and fully support its residents and on-site colleagues throughout any transition period. 

The proposals are at an early stage and any potential fee changes are currently unknown. 

Should planning permission be granted and should Care UK decide to proceed, it is estimated that the home would be closed for around a year.  

The planning application submitted to the London Borough of Merton Council will be supported by a Construction Management Plan which will lay out how disruption to the road network will be minimised throughout the development phase of the proposals. Should planning permission be granted, and Care UK decide to continue with the proposed development, updates of any road disruption will be fully communicated to those most likely to be affected. Should you have any specific concerns regarding this, please do get in touch with the team during our public consultation period. Details of how to get in touch and have your say can be found here. 

Should planning permission be granted, and Care UK decide to continue with the proposed development, updates of any road disruption and construction milestones will be fully communicated to those most likely to be affected. Should you have any specific concerns regarding this, please do get in touch with the team during our public consultation period. Details of how to get in touch and have your say can be found here.

Any planning application submitted to the London Borough of Merton Council will be supported by a Construction Management Plan which will lay out how disruption will be minimised throughout the development phase of the proposals. Care UK would work closely with the Council, and the ward councillors for Cricket Green and the neighbouring Figge’s Marsh ward to update on any works and to ensure any concerns are considered. 

The proposals will provide the following environmental benefits:

  • Ecological enhancements – the proposals will include a wide range of new ecological enhancements within the design. This includes bird and bat boxes, log piles, and additional planting around the site to attract wildlife. Care UK is committed to supporting sustainability and achieving the highest Biodiversity Net Gain possible.
  • Landscape enhancements – As well as being a high-quality build, the proposals will focus on enhancements to the landscaping around the site.
  • Enhanced planting and retaining on-site trees – all high-quality existing trees on the boundary of the site will be retained in the proposals to help screen the development, and vegetation on site will also be enhanced.
  • Promotion of sustainable transport options – Care UK is committed to promoting sustainable transport options for staff. A Travel Plan would be implemented which promotes sustainable modes of transport such as the use of public transport, cycling, walking, and car-sharing initiatives for staff.
  • To ensure the proposals are as sustainable as possible, materials from the existing building will be recycled and renewable energy will be used as part of the heating and hot water provisions of the new care home. Additionally, the thermal efficiency of the walls, windows, and roof in the proposal will reduce heat loss by reducing the air permeability. 
  • Flooding and drainage – The proposed development will not have a negative impact on flooding or drainage around the site.

There are currently no plans to close Cumberland care home. The proposals are at an early stage and Care UK will be engaging with the local community as well as its residents and on-site colleagues before submitting a planning application. Should planning permission be granted and should Care UK decide to push ahead with these proposals, it will fully support its on-site team through any transition period. It will seek to keep colleagues within the Care UK family by redeploying them to its other homes where possible and where desired.

There is currently no date planned for redevelopment to begin. The proposals are at an early stage - Care UK held a public consultation period between Monday 22 May and Sunday 25 June 2023, and is now carefully considering feedback received ahead of submitting a planning application in the Autumn. Should planning permission be granted and should Care UK decide to proceed with these proposals, it will give further notice of its plans and fully support its residents and on-site colleagues throughout any transition period. There are several other Care UK homes within a short distance of Cumberland, and additionally, residents will be provided with a list of other homes in the area with space available, so they are fully informed about their choices. There will not be guaranteed places at the new Cumberland care home, but residents and their families will of course be welcome to consider the home when it is operational.