Tattenhall. An English Care Village provided by Seddon
PUBLIC CONSULTATION IS A HUGE SUCCESS
Over 500 villagers attended a two day consultation event hosted by The Bolesworth Estate.
The event was designed to inform residents of Tattenhall about the proposals to construct a continuing care retirement community at Frog Hall Farm on the edge of the village.
Diana Barbour, managing Director of Bolesworth Estate was delighted with the response.
‘We had over 500 people through the doors over the two days which is a fantastic turnout, representing almost 25% of the village.
We were able to answer the many varied questions that people had about the proposed development and we received a lot of positive comments about the benefits this will bring to the village of Tattenhall and the wider area which it serves.
It really shows that the people of Tattenhall care about ensuring proper provision for the care of the elderly and the team at English Care Villages and Seddons are delighted that so many made the effort to attend.’
Matthew Morris, Land Agent at The Bolesworth Estate explains what happens next.
The comments that people have made at the event will be independently analysed and the feedback will be used to fine tune the planning application prior to its submission later in the spring.
We had a number of constructive ideas which we hope to incorporate in our plans.
Over the next few months we will be posting regular updates on our website and urge everybody to keep in touch as this scheme progresses.
SO WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?
Keith Cockell of English Care Villages outlines the reasons:
‘The population of the United Kingdom is undergoing a radical demographic shift. For the first time there are more people over the age of 65 than there are under 16. As the ‘baby-boom’ generation reaches pensionable age, the number of over-60s is set to double over the next twenty years.’
As Keith explains, Tattenhall is no exception to this national trend, especially amongst the over-80s.
‘Tattenhall plays an important role as a key rural village and as such serves a number of outlying hamlets and smaller villages with vital services such as doctors, transport links and shops.'
In terms of provision for the elderly, Tattenhall must also play its part.In the wider Tattenhall area the following figures are applicable over the next twenty years;
- The numbers of over-65s will increase from 3,432 to 5,155
- The numbers of over-80s will increase from 962 to1,822
(Source Office for National Statistics / Savills Research)
These figures are based on a 15 minute drive time catchment area of Tattenhall (15 min drive map)
The figures also mask the current lack of choice facing Tattenhall residents – as Bolesworth Estate’s Matthew Morris explains;
‘Tattenhall lost a nursing home facility about 15 years ago, with the closure of the Rookery.This meant that we lost up to 50 care beds in the village which has never been replaced.
Looking to the future, we are seeking to give people a range of care options from close care nursing beds to Assisted living units. The people of Tattenhall deserve to have a choice in old age and to have the opportunity to remain in their local area.’
