Plans in the pipeline for new 40-bed care home in Leeds

A firm called Thomas Owen Care Ltd is seeking planning permission to build the home at the junction of Walter Crescent and Upper Accommodation Road in Richmond Hill.

The scheme would also involve the demolition of two existing buildings on the site, both of which have been closed for around six years.

One is the former Butterfield Manor nursing home while the other is an old day centre.

A document drawn up by an architecture firm and lodged as part of Thomas Owen’s planning application to Leeds City Council says the new home would provide “care for elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other associated illnesses”.

It adds: “The client feels strongly that there is a shortage of this type of care in this part of Leeds.”

The document also says: “Traditional care home design can appear formal and institutionalised.

“Research has shown this can cause disorientation and other issues in those with a mental disability.

“This can be caused by many factors such as large scale and the use of design features associated with an institution.

“With this in mind and understanding the strong residential typology of the area, we took the option of keeping the building mass as low as was possible but still allowing for a reasonable amount of accommodation.”

The proposed home would employ seven qualified nurses and 45 care support workers as well as 12 ancillary staff.

Landscaping features planned for the home include an outdoor patio, a gazebo, a greenhouse and nature areas.

The architecture document says: “The proposed redevelopment of this site ... is intended to sit comfortably within the predominantly residential surroundings.”

Comments on the proposals can be submitted to the council until next Friday, August 12.