Shipley care home plan given the go ahead

An application to demolish an existing, vacant industrial unit at Canal Works, Victoria Street, and build the home in its place were lodged with Bradford Council by Leeds-based Torsion Care Limited earlier this year. 

It said: “The existing buildings on the site are somewhat of an eyesore, having fallen into a state of disrepair over recent years. The care home proposed is a purpose built, three storey, 66-bed residential care facility for older people with associated access, parking and landscaping which will present attractive frontages to both Victoria Street to the west and the Leeds Liverpool Canalside to the south.”

It added: “An analysis of the wider local area has indicated there is a significant shortfall in both the quantity and quality of care bed spaces to serve the need for care in the local area. 

“Consequently, this site represents an ideal opportunity to build a purpose-built facility in line with modern standards to meet this need generated from within the local community. The scheme is developed in a configuration which enables the care home to provide for two types of care, general residential and residential dementia. Its plan layout and internal arrangements, allow the home to be split into the separate care requirements.”

The application said the design brief was for a “new contemporary and innovative care home” and the “objective is to provide a character of accommodation that would provide a higher quality of life for residents in comparison to those of other more conventionally designed facilities”.

It said that around 40 to 50 jobs would be created, working on a rotational shift pattern of employment. “Based on the care home industry experience 86 per cent of these would be full-time positions and 14 per cent part-time,” said the application.

“Only up to a maximum of 15 members of staff would be present on site at any one time, due to the shift pattern and staggered changes twice daily. The proposed development would be very much a local community facility.  

"Residents of the home would be expected to emanate from an area no more than three miles from the site or be associated with families/relatives that reside within this same catchment. The majority of the new jobs created would also be expected to be filled by suitable candidates from the same local area.”

It was said it would have a “positive impact” on the area and would bring economic benefits “by creating employment and economic activity, both during construction and in the long-term operation of the home”.  

The application said: “Torsion Care has developed a series of care homes specifically to meet the needs and care of older people in a number of locations across Yorkshire and boasts many well known national care providers amongst its clients.”