Rochdale will get a new 74-bed care home after plans got the green light on a second attempt. The scheme, tabled by CS Manchester Road Ltd, will see Sparth House on Manchester Road demolished and replaced by a four-storey care facility. The new site will contain 21 dementia care beds, 48 nursing bedrooms, and five respite rooms.
Second attempt after delays
The proposal came before the council's planning committee for the second time on August 5. A decision was delayed in March after councillors requested more details on the building's scale, its impact on trees, and its design. The plan came back with no changes. According to the developer, the size could not be reduced, otherwise the care business would not be financially viable.
Safety concerns raised
Objectors at the meeting in Rochdale's Number One Riverside raised concerns over the size of the facility and questioned the quality of care, particularly the size of shared spaces. Former healthcare worker and neighbour Sue Hanson said: “There is no way in the world you could evacuate those people on the upper floors (in the event of a fire). We are dealing with seriously ill and vulnerable people here. Dementia units should be housed on the ground floor. Trying to get them downstairs in an emergency would be dreadful.”
A representative for CS Manchester Road Ltd assured objectors that sprinklers, multiple emergency exits, and fire doors will be included throughout the facility. He added that the developer has gone 'above and beyond the minimum requirements' for what he described as a 'quality' care facility.
Support and approval
Coun Daalat Ali, not on the planning committee, spoke in favour of the scheme. He told a personal story about his mother who died after getting a dementia diagnosis, explaining that his family struggled to find a place in a specialist care facility for her locally. He pointed out there is a huge need for facilities like this and implored the committee to approve the scheme.
Committee member Coun Sameena Zaheer said: “There is a need and my concerns about the fire risks have been answered.” A majority of the planning committee voted to approve the scheme.
