A RETIRED psychiatric nurse and GP have submitted their planning application for a purpose-built care home on St Asaph Business Park.

Dylan Southern and Simon Dobson, of Star Units Ltd, are behind the proposals.

Plans include creating a modern 198-bed care home which meet the needs of all aspects of elderly care provision, including both nursing and personal care.

It will incorporate physical adaptations and an environment suited to the provision of dedicated dementia care.

A supporting planning statement, prepared by Caulmert Limited, said: "The applicants are passionate advocates of dignified, suitable and modern care environment provision delivered at a “nursing’ care level.

"They are aware that the quality of Denbighshire’s care home provision has remained static for more than 20 years despite an annual budget of £31 million spent by the authority annually on people over the age of 65 and the £92 million spent by the NHS on Continuing Health Care funding.

"Denbighshire is the second highest authority where people fund themselves in Wales. Furthermore, people are only cared for by chance in their native language and some sent out of Wales for treatment and care as no local facility exists.

"Despite DDC’s stated desire to see the market improve and adapt its living environments (as found in CIW reports), people in the most vulnerable stages of their life remain exposed to the risk of sharing rooms with complete strangers, lose privacy by having no toileting and showering facility of their own which for most people would have been a life long value.

St Asaph care home plans. Picture: BR Architecture. Within planning material

St Asaph care home plans. Picture: BR Architecture. Within planning material

"It is the applicant’s belief that the lack of basic facilities and the stasis of improvements are not acceptable and people are having to compromise to receive care whether self or state funded," the statement added.

"People also have limited access to day space provision and fresh air. Denbighshire has one of the lowest provision of en-suite wet rooms in North Wales, a facility so clearly required in modern care and infection control. Within a 0.4 radius in Rhyl 470 beds exist with 14 per cent shared rooms and only 60 per cent with ensuite toilets. No ensuite showers are available (see carehome.co.uk).

"Regarding health and safety, few care homes have fire suppression systems despite this being a requirement in all domestic and commercial buildings in Wales to ensure lives are saved when a fire occurs especially for the immobile and vulnerable.

"On the plus side in Denbighshire the Council and its partners have invested heavily in Extra Care Facilities (ECF) which is to be applauded and fees funded where necessary by Westminster. These modern new build facilities offer the above but due to their structure cannot accommodate the 20 per cent of older people who have or develop, whilst in residence, physical or mental health ill health."

Dr Dobson is a senior partner at Clarence Medical Centre in Rhyl who has been a GP in the locality for more than 25 years. Mr Southern is a retired general and psychiatric nurse who has worked at executive board level in the NHS and private sectors.

The proposed development site has been vacant and available for 20 years, since the inception of the St Asaph Business Park.

The site has been marketed for Class Use B1 for a significant period of time, most recently by local agents Legat Owen and Cooke & Arkright. No significant interest has been expressed in the site as a result of the marketing activities.

St Asaph care home plans. Picture: BR Architecture. Within planning material

St Asaph care home plans. Picture: BR Architecture. Within planning material

The planning statement said: "The proposed development will not impact upon neighbouring users within the St Asaph Business Park. Nor will neighbouring users impact upon the proposed development. This is supported by a number of technical reports submitted with the planning application including noise and air quality assessments. Neither will the proposed development impact on existing operators who are prepared to modernise their facilities."

The proposed development will create more than 200 "new, well paid and highly skilled jobs".

The statement added: "It will add approximately £5 million payroll back into the local community every year.

"The aim is to create a nationally recognised training programme and facility to develop employment within the wider health economy of Wales. Up to three PhD students from Bangor University are hoped to be the initial complement even before the unit opens.

"The proposed development also includes a training environment with academic research being the key driver to inform change and future policy of healthcare and recognised both nationally and internationally."

A previous planning application was submitted for determination and subsequently refused on March 30 2020.

Mr Southern outlined his desire to bring the development to fruition and how 'failing points in the last proposals' had been address when speaking to the Journal last month.