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 current level of parking provision, which reflects the site’s location and number of likely users, will be retained. This is based on staff and visitors, as residents will not have access to their own cars due to physical frailty. In Care UK’s experience across its 150 care homes, this provision will easily hold the number of cars likely to be on site at any on time.

Electric Vehicle charging points will be added to make allowances for now and to future proof the parking provision. There will also be bike storage spaces to support the site’s sustainability aims by providing viable alternate transport options for visitors and staff who live within cycling distance.

The redevelopment will also include the addition of an ambulance bay and a delivery bay. The car park will be designed so that if there is an ambulance on site, visitors and deliveries can still comfortably enter and exit, and if at any point there is a need for more than one ambulance, they will fit in the space.

The external appearance of the proposed building has been designed to respond positively to the surrounding Mitcham area and Cricket Green Conservation Area, with materials used taking cues from surrounding buildings, and the 2.5 storeys staying in keeping with the area whilst respecting neighbours’ privacy.

As well as being an attractive building, the proposals will be set within a high-quality landscape-designed environment, including ecological enhancements. All high-quality trees currently on the site will be retained and screen the home, and vegetation on site will be enhanced.

Care UK is committed to ensuring that its developments have a wider positive impact, and strives to achieve the highest level of Biodiversity Net Gain possible. 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.

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.

A Construction Management Plan will be put in place as part of any planning application submitted to Merton Council, and will detail how traffic, waste, dust, and noise are managed during the construction phase of the project, to ensure minimal disruption to the surrounding area and community. 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.