Video shows proposed design of new care home on former Leighton Buzzard police station site as consultation begins

A public consultation has just been launched for the planning application on the site of the former police station in Hockliffe Road. If approved, construction could start in spring 2021, with work taking around one year to complete.

The care home, which will be the first to be built by Central Bed Council in around 40 years, will have 63 places, private and secure outdoor space, communal spaces for residents, multi-purpose space, community space, as well as parking for residents, staff and visitors.

The council says "the new home showcases passive design which ensures far lower carbon emissions associated with a building through, for example, increasing wall thicknesses. This demonstrates national level leadership in carbon reduction whilst also helping to deliver objectives of the council Sustainability Plan".

The formal consultation, which lasts for 21 days, allows for feedback on the technical town planning aspects of the new care home, such as the physical design, its size, where it is located and aspects such as car parking spaces.

Councillor Carole Hegley, Executive Member for Executive Member for Adults, Social Care, Housing Operations and Customer Services said: “The submission of a planning application is a key milestone in the delivery of our ambitious plans to offer a choice of homes to the older residents living in our area.

"This home will be the first to be built by the council in more than 40 years, demonstrating our commitment to respond to a growing and rapidly ageing population that need access to a range of homes better suited to people with increasingly complex care needs.

"We know that local residents will be interested so we have created dedicated web content to keep residents updated about key stages of the planning process, through to delivery."

See the fly-through video of the proposals at https://youtu.be/zsocrqRZ94EFind out more about the plans at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/hockliffe-roadSee the planning application at http://plantech.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/PLANTECH/DCWebPages/acolnetcgi.gov?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeResultDetail&TheSystemkey=62018