In a major overhaul of Rowcroft Hospice located in Torquay’s seaside town, an outpatients section will be demolished along with other components of the palliative center.
The new dementia-specific care home will feature outpatient space as well as an upgraded 14 bed inpatient unit with community facilities like a library and cinema.
A nursery, charity offices and an underground village hall will be included in the revamped complex. The complex will have more than 170 parking spots, as well a new cycle and footpath. The three-staged project will begin early next year.
In a planning report for councillors, it was stated that the accommodation proposed had been designed with care and health as a priority.
The inpatient unit’s rooms will all have patio access, while the rooftop viewing area will be accessible via a lift.
Planners have told councillors that the overall development will be’significantly beneficial’ and in line with goals of the local plan.
PRP director Clare Cameron stated that when the scheme cleared an earlier planning hurdle in late 2018, it was an “exciting opportunity” to enhance and expand an existing hospice.
She continued: ‘The designs were based on the creation of an environment that provides a purposeful living way by providing an intergenerational and accessible series of opportunities within the landscape.
The hospice said that the purpose-built dementia and nursing home complex would enable it to meet the wider care needs of the community, as well as providing ‘a valuable income stream …
“Designs have now been developed which will allow residents live in a nurturing, vibrant and caring home, that supports independence, mobility and integration as much as possible.”
