Objectors outraged after controversial care home for adults with mental health conditions given green light

Objectors shouted obscenities to councillors after a controversial plan to transform a former five-star hotel into a residential home for people with mental health conditions was approved.

Moss Lodge Hotel, in Kingsway, will be turned into a 24/7 unit with staff monitoring residents in a supported environment by Northern Healthcare, Rochdale Council planning committee was told.

This comes after a failed attempt by Acorn Recovery Project to turn the site into a drug rehabilitation site at the start of 2022. This plan also proved controversial with locals in the area around Kings Road due to concerns that ‘the management plan is non-existent’.

The 18-bed facility looking to support and manage residents’ mental health, medication compliance and daily living activities such as budgeting, shopping, cooking and cleaning. The residents, who would be admitted after coming out of hospital in some circumstances, will be able to come and go as they please as this will not be a secured site.

There will be 24 full-time staff employed at the site working on shift basis (this included management) and a local resident who works in social care claimed this is not enough, as he believes there needs to be contingency plans for when staff members are off sick or on leave. He went on to tell councillors at Number One Riverside that ‘the management plan is non-existent’, given his experience completing similar plans professionally, which caused him concern for the incoming residents.

Councillor Sameena Zaheer voiced her concern at this, who wanted a number on how many would be looking after these residents as well as why the consultation was not properly done. Andrew Baxter, representing Northern Healthcare at the meeting on 20 October, explained that residents had been invited to a consultation evening, but they had not sent out packs with their management plan, much to the dismay of Councillor Zaheer.
 

Read more: Rehab centre plans for hotel thrown out after mum makes emotional plea over crime fearsPublished: 07 January 2022

Despite a number of councillors voicing their concerns regarding the plan towards residents' safety and care, Councillor Billy Sheerin pointed out that the committee can only look at the planning issues – to which they had little to refuse on other than the boundary issue which would be sorted as part of an approval condition.

Councillor Sheerin went on to tell the committee that these concerns around the care and management plan would be sorted by Adult Social Care, who can ‘really put the boot in’ when it comes to regulations.

Northern Healthcare currently has a Care Quality Commission inspection rating of ‘Requires Improvement’ as of September 2021, which their representative revealed after being directly asked three times. They manage 15 other similar units across the north of England, so stressed they have the experience to do this.

“The ground floor would house four apartments, two offices, lounge, dining room, kitchen, medicine room and staff toilets,” a report said. “The first floor would house eight apartments and the second floor would house six apartments.

“Each individual apartment would consist of a bedroom with en-suite bathroom facilities.”

The planning application was approved by the committee, which led to objectors shouting “this is a joke” and “disgusting decision” as they stormed out of the room.

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter