Hythe Public Engagement

The parking provision will reflect the site’s location and number of likely users, based on staff and visitors, as residents will not have access to their own cars due to physical frailty. In Care UK’s experience across its 150 care homes, this provision will easily hold the number of cars likely to be on site at any one time. 

Electric Vehicle charging points will be added to make allowances for now and to future proof the parking provision. There will also be bike storage spaces to support the site’s sustainability aims by providing viable alternate transport options for visitors and staff who live within cycling distance. 

The development will also include the addition of an ambulance bay and a delivery bay. The car park will be designed so that if there is an ambulance on site, visitors and deliveries can still comfortably enter and exit, and if at any point there is a need for more than one ambulance, they will fit in the space. 

• Ecological enhancements – the proposals will strive to meet the modern expectations of a sustainable care home. Care UK has set the objective that the proposed development will achieve at least a 10% net gain. There will be a wide range of ecological enhancements incorporated into the design. These may include bird and bat boxes, log piles, and additional planting around the site to attract wildlife. 
• Landscape enhancements – As well as being a high-quality build, the proposals will focus on enhancements to the landscaping around the site.  This includes creating plentiful open space for residents of the homes to enjoy. 
• Trees – there will be planting of new trees where possible, as well as vegetation to help screen the development. 
• Promotion of sustainable transport options – Care UK is committed to promoting sustainable transport options for staff. A Travel Plan will be implemented which promotes sustainable modes of transport such as the use of public transport, cycling, walking, and car sharing initiatives to staff.
• Care UK is mindful of environmental impacts and climate change. To ensure the proposals are as sustainable as possible, electric vehicle charging points will be available for staff and visitors, and Care UK is also investigating the most effective renewable energy technologies to incorporate into the design (e.g. solar panels and/or air source heat pumps etc).
• Flooding and drainage – The impact of surface water runoff from the proposed development will be assessed and a strategy developed to adequately mitigate any impacts identified. Any mitigation will be in the form of a sustainable drainage strategy using SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) developed specifically for this site.

• Permanent local employment – the proposed development of the Hythe care home will result in new employment on the site (approx. 83 FTE), with jobs available for staff, such as carers, nurses, gardeners, receptionists, and activity staff.
• Temporary local employment – should approval be granted, during the construction phase of the proposals, local construction jobs will be created.
• Improved economic prosperity of Folkestone and Hythe – colleagues and visitors will contribute to additional expenditure in local shops, and the wider area.

• Provision of specialist care accommodation – The new National Planning Policy Framework (2023) places new emphasis on the need to plan for different groups in the community, including for older people that require care homes.  The Government’s Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) also states that “the need to provide housing for older people is critical”, the proposals support this as well as national planning policy requirements for specialist care accommodation. Moreover, the Council’s Local Plan has recognised the need to accommodate the local community’s ageing population and states that any development proposals would be supported should they ‘meet the needs of the ageing population and is restricted to occupation for those over 65 years of age.’ 
• A Needs Assessment is currently being undertaken, which will demonstrate how the current supply of beds for older people compares to demand in the area. 
• Reduce pressure on local community and health facilities – The proposals will help reduce the pressures on local hospitals and health facilities. This is because residents in the home will receive care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from qualified nurses, which removes the need for residents to use local health provisions with their medical needs being met in the home. 
• Reduced loneliness through a design that encourages interaction and activities in communal areas, as well as reduced falls in a well-designed and safe environment.
• Contribution to Council’s housing supply – the 10 houses will make a valuable contribution towards the Council’s long-term housing requirements (whereby the Council is only marginally meeting its five-year housing land supply).
• The combination of the care home and dwellings will result in an efficient use of the site.

A Construction Management Plan will be put in place as part of any planning application submitted to Folkestone and Hythe District Council, and will detail how traffic, waste, dust, and noise are managed during the construction phase of the project, to ensure minimal disruption to the surrounding area and community. Should planning permission be granted, and Care UK decide to continue with the proposed development, updates of any road disruption and construction milestones will be fully communicated to those most likely to be affected.