On Tuesday 18 September, Dorset County Council presented proposals at a meeting of Bridport Town Council for an innovative housing and care home development on Flood Lane.
The scheme, known as ‘Bridport Gateway’, will contain:
- a new care home for people with nursing and dementia care needs
- a range of housing for older people including supported living, extra care, and respite care housing
- housing for keyworkers such as social workers, carers and nurses.
It is hoped that some social housing will also be provided as part of the scheme.
The county council is currently working to appoint a development partner(s). The preferred partner(s) will be submitted for approval to the new Dorset Council Shadow Executive Committee in January 2019.
Dorset County Council, Bridport Town Council and the Neighbourhood Plan Group will be part of the design team preparing the planning application. Consultation will form part of the planning application process, with Bridport residents invited to have their say on the proposed scheme. The aim is for Bridport Gateway to be completed in autumn 2021.
Councillor Jill Haynes, Cabinet Member for Health and Care at Dorset County Council, said:
“This development of housing aimed at social care clients and keyworkers, alongside a new care home focused on providing nursing and dementia care will provide much needed accommodation for Bridport residents. It will greatly enhance the area around West Bay Road and Flood Lane. More importantly, it will meet the future need for accommodation for health and adult care services, with residents benefiting through personal choice and the ability to remain at home.”
Cllr Haynes also described the innovative use of relocatable housing to meet the short term accommodation needs for adult social care by building 12 housing units on the Fisherman’s Arms site. This will enable the residents to move to their permanent location on site when the development is completed, minimising disruption. The relocatable units will then be moved to another site elsewhere in the county planned for development.
