Frequently Asked Questions
What will be offered at this site?
Are the facilities open to the general public?
Will I qualify to live here?
Can guests come and stay on site?
Will there be an on-site Nursing Home?
Why is this planning application being proposed here?
Will I still be able to walk my dog across this site?
What will happen to the trees on the site?
Are there any protected species on the site?
When would this development be completed?
Do the benefits of the proposal outweigh the cost of building a CCRC on a small part of the green belt?
What will be offered at this site?
A purpose built community where residents can enjoy first rate personal and nursing care with a range of support services together with the use of facilities, such as a restaurant and cafe, library and I.T. room, wellness suite with swimming pool and hairdressers, bar-lounge and local shop. All surrounded by landscaped gardens and a new 28 acre park, accessible to all Cranham residents.
Are the facilities open to the general public?
Yes, to over-50s and to friends and family of people living in the Village. The scheme is for the whole community.
Will I qualify to live here?
You will need to be over 65 or have disabilities or other health problems that need care and support. You will then be able to either purchase or rent a home within the village. You can then choose from a menu of care, housekeeping and related services to reflect the level of support you may require, according to your changing needs.
Can guests come and stay on site?
Yes, guest rooms will be available to friends and family of people living in the Village.
Will there be an on-site Nursing Home?
Absolutely, in fact this is a fundamental element of the English Care Village model. Imagine, as a village resident, at some point in your marriage or relationship, failing health affects one of you more than the other. With a Nursing Home at the Village heart, you need never be separated by a long or difficult journey. And how much would it mean to you or your spouse, at that stage in your life, to keep in regular contact with the friends and carers you already know, love and rely on. They will be right on your doorstep.
Why is this planning application being proposed here?
Compared to the national average, Havering alone now has a shortfall of over one thousand Residential and Extra Care bedrooms. It also has the highest number of elderly residents compared to all the other London Borough’s.
In fact, over 56,000 households (54%) in Havering are occupied by either Retired Seniors or Empty Nesters - and over 41,000 (74%) of these are of ‘above average affluence’. Yet, around 60% of Nursing Home and 83% of Residential Home bedrooms do not even have an en-suite WC. This implies that for an affluent catchment, very few residents will be able to find a service that meets their requirements or expectations.
Will I still be able to walk my dog across this site?
Yes. In fact on the proposed 28 acre parkland area of this 33 acre site, enhancements will be made to increase accessibility for both the young and the old, creating a green space for enjoyment and informal recreation. It will be landscaped to enhance its appearance with new and safe walking paths across and through the site for use by everyone in the community.
What will happen to the trees on the site?
None of the mature trees considered to have amenity value, such as those along the boundaries of the site, will be felled.
Within the site areas, regenerating trees of relatively poor quality are to be removed. However, new trees will be replanted elsewhere on the site as part of landscaping proposals consistent with the Thames Chase Community Forest Project objectives. These will then be included in the long term ecological management of the site.
Are there any protected species on the site?
The ecological surveys to date have found little evidence of protected species on this site. As part of the enhancement program, ponds will be created to help increase the biodiversity value of the site, along with other habitat creation and management for many different species.
When would this development be completed?
Firstly, planning permission must be granted for the development to go ahead, and this would be greatly helped by public support. If permission is granted during 2010, completion would be expected to be in 2012.
If the application does not get planning permission, then neither the Care Village nor the enhancements to wider site will go ahead. And, as the population of the elderly residents in Havering increases, so will the number of residents having to face either the prospect of a traditional Care Home, or the reliance of care in their current home.
So the important question is this:-
Do the benefits of the proposal outweigh the cost of building a CCRC on a small part of the green belt?
Pro’s - New, quality accommodation for the elderly in a Care village that will also provide facilities for other local elderly residents in the wider community. A new 28 acre park of open green space for the local community to enjoy.
Con’s - Developing a 5 acre section of the green belt to a Care Village.