New plans have been put forward for a graffiti-hit old beauty salon in Sherwood which neighbours say looks 'a bit of a mess'. Officials from Hockley Developments, a company behind a number of significant projects in and around the city, including the Sherwood Library redevelopment, want to redevelop the former salon in Hucknall Road into an assisted living facility to include 12 one-bedroom flats and also accommodate staff.
The property, near the junction leading to Weardale Road and Teesdale Road, used to be home to a beauty salon called The Venu. A prominent sign on the front of the building says the business has relocated to St Albans Road, between Daybrook and Arnold.
The vacant building in Hucknall Road has been daubed with graffiti and people living nearby had their say on the plans. Semi-retired Chris Smith, who is 54 and from Sherwood, questioned the location for such a development, saying the "main road is really busy" and that the building "looks like a bit of a mess right now".
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Louise Baker, 48, Sherwood, said a cafe would be a suitable use for the site instead, saying: "I know the people of Sherwood would enjoy that." But retired Leslie Rodgers, 69, of Sherwood, said he was 'happy' to see an assisted living complex.
"It’s looks like a bit of a mess now though so it would need a revamp. The residents wouldn’t get much sunshine though since it’s small." Student Grace Chapel, 21, added: "It’s a good idea. It doesn’t look very nice at the minute but it could be since it’s a good area, there’s shops nearby which is helpful."
The plans have been submitted to Nottingham City Council for consideration. A statement in the planning documents states the flats "are designed to assist Nottingham City Council in meeting their supported living provision targets".
"The demand for supported living schemes is continuously increasing," the statement adds. "Several factors contribute to this, the general pressure of modern life having an adverse effect on a variety of work limiting mental and physical disabilities, increasing population numbers, and a number of people currently occupying full residential care dwellings that do not require full care packages.
"Supported living allows these citizens to have independence and relieves pressure off residential care facilities, and in hand relieving pressure on the NHS from people ‘bed blocking’."
The developers also said: "The proposed works will have a positive effect on the local economy by providing more accommodation for those in need of supported living. This will in turn reduce the demand and expense of residential care within the area and relieve some of the strain currently on residential care within the area."
A spokesperson for Hockley Developments has said: "The building currently situated on the site is a bit of an eye sore and is expensive to maintain and run, due to the shift in modern building standards. Demolishing this building and providing an efficient and attractive alternative shall protect this site for the foreseeable future.
"Residents within the Supported Living scheme shall require a light level of care, which is provided by a nominated Care Provider, who shall ensure staff are located on the premises 24 hours a day to assist people with their day to day lives. Tenants shall be a mixture of genders and ages, from 18+.
"Tenant profiles shall be assessed by the Care Provider to ensure this scheme is suitable for their needs. We believe that the proposed scheme shall breathe a new life into the site, providing secure and efficient homes for those who need it most."
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