Concerns raised over care village

A purpose-built care village is to be built in Cornwall despite concerns from local people and planning officers.

The village, in Tregony on the Roseland peninsula, will include a nursing home with "close care" units, similar to sheltered housing.

Some residents living near the proposed site are worried it could create problems with traffic and access and could become overdeveloped.

But developers Roseland Care Ltd said the care village would be an asset.

Croquet lawn

Carrick District Council approved the scheme on Wednesday night, despite objections by the planning department on the grounds it was in a conservation area.

However, the approval is subject to the results of a study to be undertaken by South West Water into whether the village's sewage treatment works will cope with the increased flow.

Research commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation into purpose-built villages has found they expand the choice of living arrangements for pensioners and help maintain independence, security, support and friendships.

Karen Croucher, who was involved in the research, has disputed claims that care villages put added pressure on local services.

'Not convinced'

She told BBC News: "It's early days in the UK, but having care staff at hand makes people think about calling a GP and they can keep an eye on them.

"I'm not convinced they create an overwhelming demand for local services, and I also think older people are entitled to access services wherever they live."

The village at Tregony is for people over the age of 55. When it is finished it will have full communal facilities, including a croquet lawn, pavilion, ponds and car parking.

The first residents are expected to move into the care village in December.