Ambitious design for new care home
A new 70-bed residential and dementia care home could be coming to Maidenhead if the council agrees.
Boutique Care Homes wants to build at Lawnfield House in Westmorland Road, on the corner of Bath Road near Redroofs Theatre School.
It would cater to residents ‘within the full range of the elderly care spectrum.’
The three-storey care home with a basement set on this 4,000sqm site would replace the existing six-bedroom house, former stables and coach house.
Representatives RM Design Group said the ‘state of the art’ care accommodation ‘will deliver the highest level of care.’
Boutique Care Homes runs about 216 beds across three care homes currently.
It won the ‘Small Care Group of the Year’ award at the 2023 National Care Awards.
In this home, bedroom sizes will vary from a standard 20sqm to the largest at over 28sqm.
“Many contemporary care homes are being built with bedroom sizes of 17[sqm] or less,” wrote RM Design.
The first floor would be designated for dementia care, with two lounges/dining rooms, quiet lounges, seating areas, and 28 ensuite specialist dementia bedrooms.
The second floor also comprises lounge/dining rooms, 22 ensuite bedrooms as well as some staff-use facilities.
At ground level, there would be direct access to a secure garden, with many rooms having their own private garden space.
Gardens would provide patios, water features, and a gazebo. A potting shed and raised beds are provided for residents to use.
The building will be Yshaped, likely visible from Bath Road, with the main entrance and vehicle access fronting Westmorland Road.
It also is set to include 19 parking spaces (two accessible) and cycle parking.
The site will see ‘extensive landscaping’, making use of its existing large garden with two lawns on either side of the gazebo.
Boutique Care Homes’ offerings are ‘very distinctive’, blending arts and crafts and art deco architecture,’ said RM Design.
“The applicants believe that the site represents a fantastic opportunity to create a muchneeded care facility of exceptional quality to the area,” they wrote.
“The building will aim to achieve an outstanding CQC rating. The proposal will provide an exceptional quality living environment for the future occupants.
“The proposed home has the opportunity to positively enhance the character and appearance of the area, not just in the quality of the building, but also its contribution and
visibility in the streetscape.”
The scheme will also provide 70 full-time jobs, the company said.
There have already been three objections from neighbours concerned that the 70-bed care home is much too large for the street and will increase traffic too much, as well as encroach on neighbour privacy.