GNLP0253
Object
Draft Local Plan-Part 2 Site Allocations
Representation ID: 22111
Received: 16/03/2020
Respondent: Mr James Boddy
Agent: Mr Feng Li
The key elements of the concept are:
● A unique opportunity to live independently while benefitting from the latest health and social care research: Residents will be given the opportunity to participate in health research utilising extensive data collection technologies. These would include monitoring of facility and project involvement and usage, combined with health records and individual monitoring. The latter would be achieved through a combination of wearable technologies, ambient AT and AI, and conventional health checks. Combined with a range of wellbeing and personal enhancement facilities, research enrolees will enjoy a highly-personalised level of medical assessment. This would also present opportunities to take part in innovative care interventions that are being researched.
● The Promise of a Healthier Life (style): Within the community, the availability of specialist services and the unique support of a truly personalised medical opinion will be standard. Optimal lifestyle choices could be advised. Conditions and disease are much more likely to be diagnosed at an early stage, providing the opportunity for more successful, and cheaper, treatment. Understanding of risk factors will mean a reduction in complications and secondary incidents.
● A New Paradigm for Community Living: The community ethos will be to create an enabling environment for a happy, healthy, active and fulfilling life. The layout of the parkland, with plenty of accessible pathways in a sylvan setting will help set the tone. It will be built to exacting design standards delivering an integrated community and research facilities.
● The best of care: the community would include a state-of-the-art care facility, with sufficient capacity for those residents who (eventually) can no longer live independently. In addition to residential options, domiciliary care packages will be available for residents living in their own homes. The overall aim is not to mimic the care progression model in the wider community, but to find ways to slow that progression as far as is possible through the application of innovative advice and services and technology.
● Pioneering Approaches in a Sector in Desperate Need of Transformation: Later life living is fraught with problems that the current health and care systems are not set-up to solve. The Colney Vision will pioneer opportunities to research and apply potential solutions; for example the interface between health and social care provision.
● Unique opportunity to integrate research and delivery: The on-site research presence will provide direct access to the Colney community who will in turn benefit from unparalleled research outcomes and access to global leading academics and professionals.
Colney Estate is outside but close to the current development boundary of Colney. It comprises Grade II listed Colney Hall and gardens, outbuildings which are now occupied for mixed uses and a large area of mixed woodland and open land to the north. The site is bounded by the River Yare to the north and Watton Road to the south which is also the main access point.
The site is not chosen as a preferred site to form part of the site allocations in the GNLP. The summary of the officer assessment has stated two main reasons for not allocating:
“
1. Currently there is no detailed evidence to quantify the need for retirement housing per se, although the County Council’s strategy Living Well – Homes for Norfolk identifies a need for 2,842 additional extra care units in the county by 2028;
2. There is no definite site-specific proposals yet promoted by an extra care housing provider, and so a generally supportive policy of allowing extra care housing in a sustainable locations is the preferred policy approach through GNLP. ”
Whilst we welcome the council’s perspective of appreciating the need of elderly care, we believe the plan has failed to act proactively to address the potential need.
Suggested Policy Approach
We do understand the challenge the LPA faces under the tight scrutiny of the evidence-based plan making approach. However, one cannot assume the plan should not address the need for housing with care without proactive allocation because of “no detailed evidence to quantify”, whilst firmly recognising there is indeed a strong and increasing demand on the other hand.
It is also somewhat narrow minded to only expect site-specific proposals promoted by an existing extra care housing provider. The strong influence of UEA’s research in shaping future care needs cannot be ignored. Utilising its strengths in research, teaching, training and employability, as well as the expertise of Norse Care, an innovative exemplar project can well set the new standard for future care models, with further opportunities presented from the beacon effect in the sector locally, regionally and nationally.
In conclusion, we suggest the GNLP Site Allocations Plan to include Colney Hall site as an
allocation for a mix of community of elderly care and research activities, with possible development quantum comprising:
• 82 bed dementia care unit
• 92 extra care apartments
• 100 apartments within the woodland (optional care)
• 30 apartments within an extended Colney Hall (optional care)
• 48 co-living units (optional care)
• UEA research space
• GP surgery
See full submission for further details