'First of its type' care centre bid revealed for Preston

The unit, off Eastway in Broughton, will provide a 40-bed high dependency care unit said to be “the first of its type in Lancashire.”

Operated by the Sue Ryder charity organisation – which also runs a unit at Cuerden Hall, Bamber Bridge – it will offer supported living units for residents with complex conditions such as multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease.

Patients – including those who require one-to-one care – will have access to a “hydrotherapy pool, physio gym and rehabilitation facilities”.

The facility forms part of a larger development on land north off Eastway that gained planning permission for housing, retail and employment use in 2013 and is part of the North West Preston masterplan.

If approved, it will replace a proposed village centre that has been deemed surplus to requirements as a result of “approval of retail facilities in close proximity.”

The land is owned by the Homes and Community Agency with 300 houses set on the wider site, some of which are already under construction.

A report submitted to the town hall by architects JDDK reads: “The centre serves an identified healthcare need for the whole of Lancashire.

“The nature of the development is such that it will not be dependent on community facilities as the resident’s needs will be met in-house.

“There is an intention for the facility to offer community outreach, where there is a genuine need. The scheme will act as a gateway to the wider development, and creates a first impression for the Eastway site when approached from the west.”

The proposal - which includes a 37-strong car park - is expected to go before the city’s planning committee early in 2018. The Sue Ryder charity currently runs five similar care facilities.