A NEW 56 bed care facility will be built in Flint now planning permission has been secured.
Flintshire Council’s planning committee voted in favour of the proposed development on the site of the former cottage hospital on Cornist Road which has been demolished.
Dubbed ‘Croes Atti 2’, it will replace the Croes Atti care home on Prince Charles Avenue in the town, as a joint venture between the council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to increase the number of beds available by 25.
The facility will offer therapeutic support, a hairdressing salon and sensory room, housing long-term residents as well as those discharged from hospital.
All 56 bedrooms will have ensuites, while there will also be a large assisted bathroom on each floor, a visitors’ lounge on each floor and a day care centre.
The application was well-received by members of the planning committee.
A statement read out on behalf of ward councillor, Flint Coleshill and Trelawny Cllr Michelle Perfect (Lab) welcomed the development.
She said: “Many will be aware of the strength of feeling of local residents at the closure of the old cottage hospital and this will be welcome news I’m sure to residents of Flint and indeed Flintshire as a whole.
“I have seen first-hand the wonderful facilities we offer in our care homes and I’m sure this building, once completed, will be a jewel in crown of Flintshire for years to come.”
Buckley Mountain Cllr Carol Ellis (non-aligned) said the facility would help replace former community hospital beds, the loss of which are still keenly felt across Flintshire.
“When the (cottage) hospital closed along with other community hospitals we lost a lot of beds within the Flintshire area”, she said.
“This can only help that situation, relieving pressure from the general and other community hospitals.”
Hope Cllr Gladys Healey (Lab) added: “This is fantastic. It shows just what Flintshire can do.
“This will alleviate the burden on the hospital. This will leave the beds on hospital free for people who need them.”
While welcoming the proposal, Gwernaffield and Gwernymynydd Cllr Adele Davies-Cooke (Con) expressed concern about landscaping and a lack of greenery on the plans.
She said: “I fully support the application, it will be a wonderful facility.
“I do hope we make sure there is plenty of green planting around the place because it looks quite a plain ugly building, so I think it could be prettied up with plenty of green around it but it is a marvellous thing.”
Planning officers said a landscaping scheme would be a condition of approval to add greenery around the building.
The committee voted in favour of the development which is expected to be ready in early 2025.
