Island's first 'dementia village' gets green light

Thursday 29 June 2023

The Island’s first ‘dementia village’ – which will include an indoor street with its own restaurant, bar and shops – will be built off Plat Douet Road after the scheme was given official approval today.

Resubmitted plans by developer Dandara was unanimously passed by the Planning Committee, which had rejected the first incarnation of the scheme last December.

The major development – which includes 61 flats in two blocks and a 127-bed dementia and care village, which will be run by LV Group – will be built on a redundant site which includes Samuel Le Riche House, Canning Court and a large warehouse once used by the next-door Waitrose supermarket.

The 2.5-acre site between Plat Douet School and Gordon Le Breton Close will now be cleared.

To the west, two four-storey residential blocks, comprising one- and two-bedroom flats, will be built. One of the committee’s principal objections in December was the size and design of the block closest to Plat Douet Road, so the developer returned having reduced its height from five storeys to four, rounded the southwestern corner and introduced a greater mix of materials.

Pictured: The development site is to the east of Plat Douet Road.

The committee was also concerned about the amount of children’s play space, so the scheme now includes two dedicated areas on top of podium parking between the blocks.

To the east of the site, the dementia care village – comprising of three interlinked blocks - will consist of ten ‘independent living’ units comprising 70 beds, a 57-bed nursing home, and eight one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units of staff accommodation.

There will also be a landscaped courtyard and a central ‘street’ of amenities including retail units and a restaurant.

LV Group Chief Executive Officer Nick Bettany said only just over 100 of the 1,000 care home beds in Jersey were currently suitable for dementia patients so this project would add significantly to the stock.

He added that he had first seen the ‘village’ concept in Amsterdam and the ‘pioneering’ concept had subsequently been adopted the UK and further afield, where it had been found to contribute to less challenging behaviour, less cognitive decline and less medication.

Pictured: An artist's impression of one of the courtyards.

He said that there was currently estimated to be 1,600 islanders with dementia, a figure that was expected to rise by 50% to 2,400 by 2030.

As part of the scheme, the developer has pledged to contribute £650,000 in highway improvements, support to the next-door primary school and other community projects.

Public access between the site and Waitrose will be maintained via a gate when the supermarket is open.