Wellington Public Engagement

• Ecological enhancements – there will be a wide range of new ecological enhancements within the design, including bat and bird boxes and the planting of new trees and flora to attract wildlife. 
• Landscape enhancements – As well as being a high-quality building, the proposals will focus on enhancements to the landscaping around the site.
• Trees – the retention of existing trees and planting of approx. 30 new trees, 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 proposed development will not have a negative impact on flooding or drainage around the site.
• Phosphate neutrality – the care home will be ‘phosphate neutral’ to mitigate against the potential harmful ecological impacts of new development to the Somerset Levels and Moors Special Protection Area.

• Permanent local employment – the proposed development will result in new employment on the site, with 74 full-time equivalent jobs available once operational, for staff such as carers, nurses, gardeners, and receptionists. 
• Temporary local employment – should approval be granted, during the construction phase of the proposals, local construction jobs will be created.
• Improved economic prosperity of Wellington – colleagues and visitors will contribute to additional expenditure in local shops, and the wider area.

• Provision of specialist care accommodation – The Government’s planning practice guidance (PPG) states that “the need to provide housing for older people is critical”, the proposals support this as well as national planning policy requirements for a need for specialist care accommodation.   At a local level, the Council anticipates that the population of people aged 75+ will increase by 14,762 between 2020 and 2040, highlighting an acute local need too. 
• 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. By reducing hospital bed blocking, this would generate cost savings to the NHS.
• Reduced loneliness through design that encourages interaction and activities in communal areas, as well as reduced falls in a well-designed and safe environment. 

A Construction Management Plan will be put in place as part of any planning application submitted to Somerset 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.