PLANS to extend a Hopwood retirement home have been passed despite officers’ recommendation for refusal.

Hopwood Court, on Birmingham Road is set to more than double its residential space after permission was granted to extend its capacity from 20 beds to 48 beds.

Planning officers recommended that the proposals were refused on grounds of ‘inappropriate development on green belt’ and there were ‘no exceptional circumstances’ to recommend approval.

However, Bromsgrove district councillors decided at a planning committee meeting on December 6 that the need for care home provision qualified as ‘exceptional circumstances’ and outweighed any harm of building on green belt land.

In a statement read out to the committee, Michelle Birchill, manager, and director of Hopwood Court said the home provide care for varying types of dementia.

“As we look to the future, we understand that the needs of our residents will be vastly different from what we offer currently,2 said Mrs Birchill.

Redditch Advertiser: This is what Hopwood Court could look like. This is what Hopwood Court could look like.

“We feel very passionate about people living with dementia - they deserve the best quality of life.

“People living in care should not have to share bedrooms or facilities such as bathrooms and toilets.

“I dare say that all of you here would not like to share facilities especially in this current climate

“We need to bring Hopwood court into the 21st century to allow us to offer the home form home service we pride ourselves on today.”

The care home is set to have a single storey, first floor and two storey extensions which will also provide three additional communal living/dining rooms, a laundry room, and an enclosed landscaped garden.

All new bedrooms will have en-suite facilities and car parking provision is set to increase from ten spaces to 30.

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Councillors decided the home should make a financial contribution to local NHS trusts and building work should commence in 18 months.