Former Inverness care home which closed after Care Inspectorate raised serious concerns to be converted into retirement flats
A former Inverness care home which closed after inspectors raised serious concerns about the quality of care is set to be developed as retirement flats.
Cradlehall Care Home, which offered residential, nursing and residential dementia care and care for young people with disabilities, closed in April.
Highland Council has now approved a planning application to turn the former purpose-built 50-bed home into 17 ground-floor flats for over 55s.
• Plans submitted to turn former Inverness care home into retirement flats
• Cradlehall Care Home in Inverness may have to close as Care Inspectorate raises concerns
• Care Inspectorate identifies 'serious' concerns at Cradlehall Care Home in Inverness
Cradlehall Care Home was acquired last year by St Philips Care which stepped in after the previous operators HC-One failed to find a buyer.
St Philips Care, which has its headquarters in Wolverhampton, decided to sell the home after significant and serious concerns regarding the quality of care were highlighted by the Care Inspectorate - the Scottish Government’s regulatory body for the care industry.
The company reached an agreement with the Care Inspectorate to voluntarily cancel the service's registration.
At the time, it said it would close for a full refurbishment and would sell Cradlehall as a turnkey operation to a care provider with a strong local presence.
A planning application to convert the building into retirement flats was subsequently submitted to Highland Council on behalf of Sitepride, based in Wolverhampton.
The development comprises 17 two-bedroom two-bathroom retirement flats for rent in the existing single storey building. All will have access to a private rear garden, with some also being provided with private front gardens.
The plans also include a caretaker flat in the small two-storey section over the central north wing.
In approving the application, Highland Council planning officers state: “While the loss of a care home is unfortunate, the Development Plan policies do not preclude this change.
“The nature of the proposed use, while for housing, is targeted at an older age profile, with the size and scale of the units being such that they would provide accommodation for those wishing to downsize into smaller accommodation.
“The proximity of the individual units also provides a degree of community cohesiveness.”
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