Land for new council-owned care home being sought

A Kent council has begun the process of finding a site for a new care home that it will run.

Medway Council voted on Tuesday to start looking for council-owned land where it could build a new facility, which it hopes will ease the strain on services and create extra jobs and business for local firms.

It was one of the three options considered in order to increase the number of care home beds in the area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Repurposing an existing council-owned building or buying a new piece of land specifically for building were the other options available to cabinet members.

Medway had a total of 1,685 care home beds as of last April.

Deputy council leader Teresa Murray said the facility, which it hopes to start building next year, would offer "a gold standard" to residents who could be cared for "nearer to home".

The proposed care home would have a total of 80 beds, some for residential and nursing facilities and others for assessment and care of specific conditions such as dementia.

Once built, the facility would cost an estimated £5.6m per year to run - £3m of which would be staffing costs.

Construction is expected to cost £12.2m, which would be borrowed and then paid off over 30 years. The total cost, with interest, would be £26.4m.

Councillor Murray said the council wanted to move quickly on the proposals, with formal plans by the end of the year.

She continued: "It's a big project, one we have to be careful about, but one we are capable of delivering and will bring huge advantages to the local economy and particularly to those we care for."

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