Nursing home plan for Soham hotel
PLANS to turn a derelict hotel into a nursing home for the elderly have been approved by council officers.
East Cambridgeshire Council has given the green-light for an extension of the former Soham Lodge Hotel and its change of use into a 50-bedroom
specialist nursing home.
The plans, which were submitted by Eastcliff Developments Ltd on behalf of owner David Lidford, were finally approved earlier this month, more than 18 months after the hotel closed its doors for good.
The new home will have staff and facilities to provide nursing care for the frail, elderly and those suffering with dementia and Alzheimer's
disease.
In a statement to the council, agents The JTS Partnership said it would be the first nursing home for Soham as, although there was provision for elderly care through sheltered housing and residential homes, the town currently had no specialist care facilities.
It added that elderly people who needed this type of care had to leave Soham, making it harder for relatives and friends to visit.
According to the planning application, the converted building will be extended to provide additional rooms and facilities for residents, with
the home including day rooms, a dining room, kitchen and a therapy room.
It is hoped the scheme will create between 60 and 80 new jobs for the local community, including positions for nurses, carers, cooks, administrators and cleaners.
Work is expected to take more than six months to complete.
When the former hotel closed in March last year, dozens of couples who had booked the venue for their wedding were left high and dry.
Since shutting, the empty site has been plagued with problems such as travellers camping illegally on the site as well as anti-social behaviour and vandalism.
The plans fit into the Soham masterplan vision for developing employment at an eastern gateway to the town.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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