Proposed Replacement Nursing Home

Camphill Community Mourne Grange
169 Newry Road
Kilkeel

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Welcome

We are inviting your views on a proposal to demolish the eastern wing of the existing nursing home building and replacement with a new, purpose built nursing home building, at the Camphill Community Mourne Grange, 169 Newry Road, Kilkeel. The feedback received will help to inform the planning application that will be submitted to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Background

Camphill Mourne Grange was established in 1971 to provide a home for adults with special needs who live and work together with co-workers and their families. It not only provides care services for people with learning disabilities and other support needs, but offers these service users the opportunity to find purpose in a variety of work and creative activities in a safe and supported environment.

Camphill Mourne Grange is accredited by the NI Supporting People Programme and provides nursing and supported housing to service users who all live on-site within buildings owned by Camphill Communities Trust and Craigowen Housing Association, and which are managed by Mourne Grange. Further information about the organisation can be found on their website www.mournegrange.org and at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM6SY7gajTg.

At present, the existing Camphill Mourne Grange nursing home facility is at capacity and unable to accommodate and care for any additional persons, with the eastern wing of the existing nursing home building in a dilapidated state and currently unfit for occupation. The existing facility currently has a long waiting list for people with special needs who wish to avail of the unique support, care and opportunities offered by Mourne Grange. The proposal seeks to replace the dilapidated wing of the existing nursing home building with a new purpose-built nursing home within the grounds of Mourne Grange. This new facility will be designed specifically to provide a high level of care and quality of life in a safe environment for those of the most vulnerable service users within the community.

Application Site

The application site comprises the existing Camphill Community Mourne Grange premises at 169 Newry Road, Kilkeel, which is located in the countryside, half a mile to the west of Kilkeel settlement limit. A copy of the site location plan can be viewed and downloaded below:

The Proposal

The current draft proposal includes the demolition of the eastern wing of the existing nursing home building and replacement with a new purpose-built facility 125m to the west. A copy of the existing and proposed site layout plans, floor plans and elevations can be viewed and downloaded via the links below:

The eastern wing of the existing nursing home is in a very poor state of repair and currently unfit for occupation. It was a later addition to Mourne Grange House, and has little or no architectural merit that might otherwise make it worthy of retention. Its demolition will create the added benefit of restoring the form and layout to the original Mourne Grange House, which is otherwise a fine example of a traditional Georgian country estate house.

To Be Demolished - Existing Eastern Wing of Mourne Grange Nursing Home:

Proposed Siting For New Nursing Home:

The land around the existing nursing home building is undulating in nature and there are various mature trees and other vegetation that would make it extremely difficult to develop a modern replacement facility in situ, adequate to suit those with special needs and impaired mobility. The proposed site, 125m to the east, is therefore preferred by the applicant and design team for the new, replacement nursing home building, for the reasons set out below:

Benefits of Proposed Siting for New Nursing Home:

1. Environmental Impact

It is currently an open, agricultural field and could accommodate the development without requiring the removal of any mature trees, or resulting in any adverse impact to any protected species

2. Capacity

It is large enough to allow the proposed building to be accommodated all on one level, which will allow a nursing home to be delivered that will be suitable for service users who have special needs and impaired mobility.

3. Integration

It is located within and will therefore integrate with the existing cluster of development at Camphill Mourne Grange, as there are other associated buildings to the north, east, south and west.

The site is also low-lying and well-screened from all public viewpoints, which will prevent the new nursing home building from appearing prominent in the landscape.

4. Access

An existing access for Camphill Mourne Grange from Ballyardle Road is located nearby and capable of serving the development.

5. Parking

There are existing, under-utilised yards nearby and within the ownership of Camphill Mourne Grange that can be re-purposed to serve as parking for the nursing home, reducing the impact that new parking areas might otherwise have on the landscape.

Proposed Nursing Home Design

The proposed nursing home building has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the most vulnerable adults that require special care and to deliver a high-quality environment and facilities:

Key Features of Proposed New Nursing Home Building:

1. Accessibility

All accommodation and facilities are on one level, to facilitate service users who have special needs and impaired mobility.

2. Safety and Security

Dense vegetation planting will be implemented along the boundaries of all areas of external open space, to ensure the safety and security of residents in attractive and natural surroundings.

3. Internal Courtyards

Internal courtyards are provided to ensure a safe, usable external space for the most vulnerable residents that require greater care and supervision.

4. Response Times

The circular form of the building allows a more rapid response in case of an emergency - it will take less than 30 seconds to travel between any two locations in the building.

5. Controlling Infection

The building is arranged into self-contained cells, allowing each cell to be isolated and function independently in the event of an outbreak of an infectious illness.

6. Fire Safety

The direct access between the residents' bedrooms and open space also offers the highest standard for evacuation in the event of a fire or other emergency.

7. Resident Amenity

All residents' bedrooms have large glazed doors and windows that open into landscaped areas of open space, ensuring a high quality of outlook and amenity.

8. Communal Spaces

All communal spaces within the building are spacious double height rooms that provide a pleasant outlook into the courtyards and external areas of open space.

9. Finishes

The building will be finished in timber cladding and natural stone, with a living green roof to improve biodiversity and reduce runoff/drainage impact.

Fly-through of Proposed New Nursing Home Building:

Panoramic Images of New Nursing Home Building:

Comments

Thank you for taking the time to view the draft proposals. We would appreciate any feedback you might have in response. All your comments will be considered before a planning application is submitted to the Council.

Please email all comments to office@otsplanning.com, or post to:

O'Toole & Starkey Ltd, Arthur House, 41 Arthur Street, Belfast, BT1 4GB

Please also get in touch if you would like any further information. Our full contact details are below and on our Contact page. We are happy to facilitate video conferencing on request to allow an opportunity to discuss the proposals with members of the design team.

All comments should be provided before the end of 9th June 2021 to ensure they are given consideration before submission of the formal planning application.

Next Steps

Following the conclusion of this pre-application public consultation, all comments will be reviewed. Once considered, relevant changes may be made to the development and all comments, including a summary of the key concerns and the applicant’s responses will be included in a Pre-Application Community Consultation Report. This report will accompany the application submission.

Supporting technical and environmental documents will be finalised to accompany the application. Once complete, the supporting documents and final proposed drawings will be submitted with the Pre-Application Community Consultation Report as a planning application to the Council for consideration and determination.

Once the application is validated, the Council will proceed with its own statutory consultation. The Council will notify the local community about the consultation and application process and how they can participate at that stage.

Join the Live Online Discussion

Wednesday, 9th June at 7pm

We will be having a presentation of the proposals and live online discussion with representatives of the applicant and members of the design team via Microsoft Teams.

If you would like to take part, please email office@otsplanning.com in advance to register and you will be provided a link to the event.