Councillors have approved plans to convert an empty care home into supported living flats in Cradley Heath
Cradley Heath: Exciting news! An empty care home is set to reopen as supported living flats. The Trinity House Care Centre closed last year after some pretty rough inspections. But now, thanks to the Sandwell Council’s planning committee, it’s getting a new lease on life.
The plan is to transform the old 33-bed care home into 14 supported living flats. At a recent meeting, Cllr Julie Webb raised concerns about parking. She pointed out that Trinity Street is often double-parked, and with mostly Victorian homes around, parking could be tricky. “Where will staff park?” she asked.
But the highways officers reassured everyone that only a couple of residents would likely drive, and they’d provide double the parking spaces needed. Sounds like they’ve got it covered!
Before the meeting, Sandwell Council’s planning officers had already recommended approval. They noted that turning the care home into flats would fit well in the area without causing any issues. Just a few conditions would need to be met.
Interestingly, five objections were raised against the plan. Ward councillor John Tipper wanted the committee to discuss it instead of leaving it to the officers. This isn’t the first time plans for the building have been proposed; two earlier attempts to convert it into assisted living flats were withdrawn.
Rehability UK, the same company that managed the care home before it closed, will run the new flats. They mentioned that the closure was a “business decision” and not solely due to the bad ratings.
Speaking of ratings, the care home had a rough time with the Care Quality Commission, receiving the lowest grade twice. They found some serious issues, like installing CCTV without consent from residents. Plus, there were complaints about not enough activities for residents and a broken TV in the communal area. The garden was also in bad shape, and there were safeguarding concerns raised.
All this came to light after whistleblowers reported allegations of physical and financial abuse, which led to the care home being placed in special measures. It’s a relief to see plans for a fresh start!
