LEADING Developer Countryside and locally based charity, St. Luke’s Hospice are bringing forward plans for a new state-of-the-art hospice and 50 high-quality family-sized homes at Malgraves Farm, Lower Dunton Road, Horndon-on-the-Hill.
Thurrock Council has identified the site as being not only suitable, but the preferred location for a new hospice and the associated development which will fund it.
The new hospice would twin with the main Fobbing Farm site of St Luke’s Hospice in central Basildon.
A new hospice will allow St. Luke’s to expand its provision of specialist multidisciplinary care for people who are facing life with, or affected by, any advanced life threatening illness, such as cancer, as well as re-locate its support services, education and administration into purpose built accommodation. The proposed new family-sized homes will be sensitively designed by Countryside, and will produce a new neighbourhood that fits in and complements the existing character of the area. These comments will be taken forward to inform the planning application.
A planning application has yet to be made to Thurrock Council and before that the applicants are inviting councillors, stakeholders and the public to come and view the plans and meet the development team.
The public consultation is taking place on:
Date: Thursday 1st May
Time: 3.30pm – 8.00pm
Location: The Fairway Suite, Langdon Golf and Country Club, Lower Dunton Road, RM14 3TY
Commenting on the proposals, Darragh Harnett, Associate Director at Countryside Properties PLC, said:
“At Countryside we’re committed to creating quality developments and more importantly places people love. The design of every home we build ensures they sit perfectly in their environment and have a real sense of place.
We want to give local people the chance to have their say on our development proposals and by taking part in this public consultation, residents can help to influence our scheme before our planning application is finalised for submission”.
Eileen Marshall, Chief Executive of St. Luke’s Hospice, added:
“Due to the high demands for our specialist services we have been looking for some while at options for a new hospice provide even better care and support to more local people.
“Before we apply for planning permission we feel it is important to show our community exactly what we’re proposing and to explain the plans, as well as giving people the opportunity to ask questions.
We look forward to meeting local residents and sharing our plans which aim to ensure there is good quality hospice care across the locality in future years.”
There have been concerns voiced that there is no public transport to this site, which is along narrow country lane with no pavement. However, now it seems there are also plans for a new railway station at Dunton and thousands of new homes adjacent to that (just out of Thurrock, in the Basildon Council area). Add in the hundreds of new homes already started on Ford’s at Dunton, I am guessing that they will have to upgrade Lower Dunton Road, and may even include public transport to the station: which would make the hospice site more accessible?
Wasn’t a golf course submitted in the LDF Langdon Hills,for a hospice, and homes I think that would be a bad idea because of the Narrow roads, I think this is a brilliant Idea , and what nice they are inviting local residents for their views I believe St Luke’s have helped so many families in Thurrock and I truly wish them all the best with planning
Nobody could argue a hospice would be welcome, but in the right location, but why should a greedy developer link it with the building of 50 houses in the green belt?
There appears to be a pattern emerging here – a cash donation to a special needs school = 500 homes on green belt in Aveley – build a hospice = 50 luxury homes on green belt, buy a playing field from the council in Stanford for a football stadium = build a housing estate in Corringham..
Call my cynical but have developers in Thurrock found the magic key to allow development in the green belt in Thurrock by linking their developments with a worthy good cause or much needed community facilities?
This hospice is needed, I know a family who’s farther put the sons name on the title deeds of the house, when the farther died his mother was diagnosed with cancer the son made his mother homeless and sold her house and kept the money for himself and his wife, I suppose his farther would never imagine his son would ever do such a terrible injustice to his own mother. Thank god for the local hospice who took her in, helped this lovely lady receive a council flat so they offer support in so many ways Ed, not just helping families with support 24/7 and making their patients comfortable when in pain but helping in all areas of life, so Thurrock need house’s they need 24.000 so if 50 house’s help deliver a hospice and residents of Aveley get their community centre,also helps a special needs school, there are benefits, with the two sites you don’t agree with but sadly it’s called progress I believe