Council Cabinet to back plans for new £16m care home on Flint Community Hospital site

Senior Flintshire Councillors will be asked to back plans for a new £16m care home on the site of the former Flint Community Hospital when they meet next week.

Following from the success of the Marleyfield House new build care facility in Buckley, the council is looking to increase capacity in the Flint area.

Currently, Flint has the provision of Croes Atti, a 31-placement residential care home located in Prince of Wales Avenue.

Over the last 12 months, work has been underway to explore options to increase the capacity of residential care in Flint and the surrounding area.

Initial sketches were developed on an informal basis to look at expanding the provision on the Prince of Wales site.

“This work did not produce a viable or deliverable solution due to site limitations and service operation restrictions this meant that an alternative site needed to be considered.” The council said.

Whilst searching for potential sites across the Flint area, a discussion commenced with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board which explored the possible transfer of the closed Flint Community Hospital site on Cornist Road to the Local Authority.

Following extensive technical and legal discussions, the site was legally transferred to the council on the 8th of February 2022.

A feasibility study completed by Willmott Dixon construction in conjunction with Lovelock Mitchell Architects was presented to the council earlier this year.

This resulted in an option for a 56 -placement residential care home on the Cornist Road site under the project title, ‘Croes Atti 2.’

The 4-storey building comprises of 56 en-suite rooms and will be Net Zero Carbon.

The council is currently progressing detailed design plans which will look at key elements of the building including landscape architecture, functionality of spaces across the building, accessibility of residents to communal space and materials used.

The new build will include a number of accessible living and dining spaces as well as visitor’s rooms as well as some office space for social services and health board staff to complete ‘touchdown’ work in the building.

There are also facilities for therapeutic support for those who require it and a sensory room to support people living with dementia.

Subject to planning permission, construction is expected to commence in September 2023 for approximately 15 months.

It is anticipated that the new residential care facility will be open and operational in early 2025.

Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Social Services and Wellbeing, Councillor Christine Jones, said:

“During the year we have undertaken a full feasibility study to help determine what type of building can be accommodated on the former Flint Community Hospital site.  I am pleased that an option for a 56 placement building has been developed, enabling us to progress to a detailed design phase.”

“Social Services have been working closely with the construction team to ensure that the building will be able to deliver high quality care to Flintshire residents.”

“The intention is for the new residential care facility to comprise of 56 en-suite rooms, a number of accessible living and dining spaces, a visitor room and office space for Social Services and colleagues from Health.”

“I am delighted the new residential care facility will also include facilities for therapeutic support, and support for people living with dementia.”

Cabinet members will be asked to support the ‘Croes Atti 2’ project, a strategic priority for Social Services, when it meets on Tuesday 22 November.

[Image is an initial early artist impression]