Lifeline for Blackpool carers gets the go ahead

An artist's impression of the new facility which has been designed by Lancashire architects Cassidy and Ashton

The site of the council-owned former Colton House on Ambleside Road, Mereside, will be redeveloped to provide the lifeline so parents and carers can take much needed breaks from their roles.

Once the empty building is demolished, it will be replaced by a new one to two-storey modern facility with six bedrooms.

Currently because demand for beds is so high, some people have to receive respite care outside Blackpool which costs more money.

Town hall planners approved an application by the council to convert the Colton House site to the new use using their delegated powers.

Their report says: "Evidence provided by the council’s only other facility at Coopers Way, suggests that the demand for beds far outweighs the supply, with this expected to increase year on year.

"The current proposal would go some way to alleviating this pressure on resources."

The residential centre will provide respite for adults aged over 18 with stays varying from overnight to several days either in an emergency, for planned breaks or between leaving hospital and going home.

Care will be provided round-the-clock by a team of up to four members of staff.

The report adds: "Socially, there is a need for this proposal and it would support the communities’ health and well-being. There would be no adverse impact on neighbours in terms of amenity or highways impact."

Capital funding of £1.75m for the scheme has come from the NHS, with annual running costs of £665,000 a year to be met by the council's adult services budget, with the council also contributing £150,000 by way of the value of the site.

The council already operates a similar six-bedroom unit at Coopers Way in North Shore.

Colton House was previously used as three flats providing supported living accommodation for people with learning difficulties.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to Blackpool Gazette website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/ now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you and stay safe. Gillian Parkinson, editor.