FORTY-FOUR new homes will be built as part of the 8.7million redevelopment of Townlands Hospital in Henley.

There will be 32 assisted-living properties for the elderly, a mixture of one- and two-bedroom homes. Another 12 will be for key workers at the new 18-bed hospital and 64-bed care home.

The three existing buildings on the site, including the Grade II-listed workhouse and the Range, will be refurbished and turned into cottages and apartments.

Residents will be able to use the facilities and personal care provided by the care home.The homes will have 49 designated parking spaces as well as courtyards and green seating areas.

Wallingord company Beechcroft Developments has been brought in by the developer Amber Infrastructure to create the residential part of the site.

Managing director Chris Thompson said: “There will be mainly two-bedroom houses for people who need that little bit more support than they would get in a normal retirement scheme.

“The concept we have developed is to link the care home and assisted living units so the home can provide assistance with meals, laundry and other aspects of personal care.

“The idea behind the key worker units is that the staff can live on site rather than drive to work. That’s one of the issues the hospital has currently.”

The homes are expected to contribute to the 400-plus homes allocated to Henley under South Oxfordshire District Council’s core strategy.

Beechcroft has been building homes for the elderly for almost 30 years and completed schemes in Remenham, Goring and Emmer Green.

The new three-storey hospital, which will be open in 2014, will have 64 parking spaces plus six disabled spaces.

The ground floor will house reception, the outpatients and X-ray departments, the minor injuries unit and therapists.

The inpatient department will be on the first floor and the second floor will house the Sue Ryder hospice, which is currently in Nettlebed, with 12 palliative care beds.

All the bedrooms will have their own balconies and overlook a “green space” to help the recovery and wellbeing of patients.

The care home, which will be run by the Order of St John, which currently runs the Chilterns End care home in Greys Road, will be in one corner of the site and have 22 parking spaces plus two disabled spaces.

There will also be a “multi-faith sanctuary” and an outside physiotherapy and gym area.

Access to the “health campus” will be one-way via York Road and the exit will be on to Clarence Road.

Delivery vehicles will enter from a new access from Mount View. A planning application is expected to be submitted to the district council next week. The building work is scheduled to start next year and take 18 months to complete. The homes should take about two years to complete.

More than 200 residents have attended three public exhibitions at the town hall over two weeks with the last held on Wednesday.

They had an opportunity to read about the development and see the masterplan of the site showing where all the buildings will be as well as ask questions of Amber and Beechcroft representatives.

Mike Leto, bid director for Amber, said: “The comments have all been very positive and some said ‘it’s about time’, which is really encouraging.

“We have spoken to residents in Hop Gardens and York Road, who have been concerned about views, and we are working out proper superimposed images.”

lWhat do you think? Write to: Letters, Henley Standard, Caxton House, 1 Station Road, Henley, RG89 1AD or email letters@henleystandard.co.uk

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Published on 04 June 2012