Council warns planned care home too close to A47

Developers say the home would provide "much needed" care beds in Norfolk

Plans for a care home could "end in tragedy" because dementia patients could "wander off", a council has warned.

Scarning Parish Council in Norfolk said it opposed the 60-bed home on the outskirts of Dereham as it was near "a treacherous junction" with the A47.

The developers behind the proposal said there was lack of modern facilities in the area – and that residents would be monitored at all times.

A report for Breckland Councillors advises them to give outline planning permission, on the basis that more care places are "much needed" in the area.

Tilco – the firm behind the plan – wants to build the home next to Draytonhall Lane, on the south-western side of Dereham and near the A47.

The land is within Scarning, where the parish council said the close proximity to a busy road was potentially dangerous.

Concerns have been raised that the location of the home is too far outside of Dereham

"It is not unheard of for dementia patients to wander off, and due to the location, it is thought this could end in tragedy," its objection said.

It also said it felt that a 25 space car park was too small for a location that would mainly be accessed by vehicle.

But a report prepared for Tilco said "the safety of vulnerable residents and their possessions is a fundamental priority in the design" – with CCTV covering the building and the home's garden secured by hedges and fencing.

It also said the home would be "designed above current Care Quality Commission standards" and would employ between 50 and 60 full-time staff.

With people living longer, it is estimated that Norfolk will need hundreds more care beds over the next decade

The company's plans were rejected by councillors in 2023, on the basis that the site was too far from amenities in Dereham and too close to the A47.

Their decision went against the recommendation of council officers who are – as they did two years ago – advising that the plan should be given the go-ahead.

In their report, the officers advise that safety upgrades - including road markings and signage – had "been successful in reducing incidents" at the junction with the A47.

They also state that Breckland is expected to require another 900 care beds by 2036, and those provided by another home are "much needed".

They recommend that councillors give outline planning permission for the site – with fuller plans to be agreed at a later date.

The proposals will be discussed at a meeting of Breckland's planning committee next Tuesday.