A former Liverpool care home has been earmarked for demolition after being deemed “no longer viable.”
Documents submitted to the city council’s planning department have shown an application has been made for the former Arundel Park Care Home on the corner of Greenheys Road and Sefton Park Road could be knocked down, almost two years after it was announced it would shut down.
The site is to be levelled to make way for future development opportunities according to a planning letter from Sanctuary Housing which owns the home and location.
In December 2021, it was confirmed the home would close to residents after becoming financially impractical for bosses.
The letter, written by Sanctuary’s development manager Louise Chambers, said the site and an adjacent plot is under the organisation’s ownership with plans granted in December last year for a new 42-apartment facility across two blocks for the elderly.
Ms Chambers wrote, “Arundel has become no longer a viable home to operate as a consequence of covid, limited staff resources, and inadequate facilities.
“Remaining residents have been resettled in a Sanctuary care home close by and the site ceased operation in December 2022. The building and site are rapidly deteriorating and are a significant security consideration.”
When Arundel Park closed its doors, officials said the decision was taken with “a heavy heart” but it was no longer “financially viable” for Sanctuary to run the service. The majority of residents were moved to homes Willow Gardens in Bootle and Prince Alfred in Liverpool.
Ms Chambers’ letter added, “Sanctuary will commence construction of the adjacent site shortly and in doing so wish to consider future development proposals for Arundel. Therefore, it is proposed to demolish Arundel and fully clear the site and follow with a full planning application for the redevelopment of the site.
“Arundel is situated within the Princes Park Conservation Area and as such an Arboriculture Report has been commissioned. This will be submitted as soon as possible in support of this application.”
It was revealed early this month how hundreds of beds across Liverpool have been lost owing to the closure of care homes in the city over the last 12 months. A total of 2,376 beds are currently located in Liverpool with 740 specialist beds.
However, due to the closure of Bellfield and Redcourt elderly mentally infirm homes in West Derby and Mossley Hill respectively, as well as Abbey Lawns in Anfield, 113 beds were lost.
A date has yet to be confirmed for the proposals to be heard by the planning department.
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