Poppy Court - Dementia Home

Why are you building a new dementia home?

Kingston Council is building an 80 bed dementia nursing home on the site of the old Newent House care home in Browns Road, Surbiton, as part of long-term plans to meet the needs of an ageing population in Kingston. The borough has an increasing number of residents who need bed-based care towards the end of their lives. Demand is particularly high for dementia care - there are estimated to be around 1,500 residents in Kingston living with dementia and it is predicted that this number will rise to over 2,100 people by 2027.

Who is the new dementia home being built for?

The home is designed to provide state of the art nursing care for our older residents who are no longer able to look after themselves, or receive support in their own homes. Most of our residents will be over 85 years of age, and it is likely that many will be living with dementia and related conditions. Priority for places in the home will be given to Kingston residents. Further details on how the home will operate and criteria for entry will be available in summer 2022.

What will the home look like?

Illustrations of what the three storey building will look like can be viewed in the photo gallery on our Kingston: Let’s Talk page. All other drawings and plans submitted with the planning application can be viewed on our planning database.

When will work start on building the home?

On 12 November 2019, the Children and Adults Care & Education Committee gave the greenlight for construction of the home to go ahead. Clearance work began on site in January 2020 followed by demolition works. Construction of the new building began in April 2020. The demolition and building work will take around 18 months in total and is due to be completed in winter 2021/22. The home will welcome its first residents in summer 2022.

How will construction work affect local residents in the immediate neighbourhood?

The council and its contractors will work hard to minimise noise and disruption to local residents, though inevitably, a major building site generates traffic and some noise for which we apologise in advance. We will endeavour to keep building work within working hours of 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday.

It is not envisaged that work will take place on Saturdays but if required, notices will be sent to local residents in advance. If there is a need to change these timings due to unforeseen circumstances or exceptional events, these will be developed in liaison with the council and local residents and communicated well in advance. The council’s construction partner is signed up to the principles of the Considerate Construction Scheme.

Who is building the home?

The contract for the design and build of the new facility was awarded to IHP (Integrated Health Projects).

Will parking be affected during the construction of the home?

The council’s construction contractor, Integrated Health Projects (IHP) has applied for some parking restrictions of existing parking bays in Browns Road and Warwick Road in order to get demolition and construction vehicles on and off site. There is also likely to be some restriction of parking on Warwick Road (bays on the side of the road next to the site) and at the entrance to Browns Road from Ewell Road (on the south side at the top of Browns Road).

Inevitably there will be increased traffic during the demolition and construction period. However, construction traffic will be carefully managed to avoid disruption as much as possible for local residents. It is likely that there will be quieter phases during the construction - during which, in liaison with the Site Manager, we will do all we can to maximise use of parking for residents and to assist the garage on Browns Road to conduct business.

Parking restrictions will be no longer than 1-2 consecutive days from 7am-6pm to enable the loading and removal of key equipment and materials from the site.

Timetable of proposed parking restrictions

2021

February - December - 1 day each month

How will the environment and wildlife in the area be protected during construction?

A Tree Protection Plan was submitted with the planning application for this development and an Ecological survey has been carried out. Measures are in place to monitor air quality throughout construction and a further independent inspection has been conducted to ensure that no roosting animals are disturbed as a result of the demolition of the building. To encourage wildlife, bat and swift boxes will be installed in the walls of the new building and the operator will work with residents and local groups to plan a dementia and wildlife friendly planting scheme for the garden, including native trees to replace those removed during construction.

I’m interested in supplying services or working in the new home, where can I find out more information?

The council is currently developing plans for operation of the home. Services and employment opportunities for and in the new home will be advertised locally from winter 2020 onwards. If you’re interested in working with us in the future as a local supplier of services, please get in touch: dementiahome@kingstonconversation.co.uk.

When will the home open for residents?

After the home has been built and is handed over to us from the builders it will take 3-6 months to get it ready to welcome residents (likely in summer 2022). Further details on residency in the home will be available in summer 2022.

Who will run the new home?

The recommendation to commission an external provider to operate the new home was unanimously approved at the council’s Response and Recovery Committee on Thursday 28 May 2020. Further updates will be added to this webpage once available.

Once the home is open will there be more traffic in the local area?

Peak operating hours for the home are 8am-8pm. However, as with any nursing and residential care home access is required 24 hours a day. The largest vehicle entering the parking area once the home is open is likely to be a refuse collection vehicle.

How many parking spaces will there be for staff and visitors?

There are 19 parking spaces available on-site for staff and visitors. Staff working in the home will not be eligible to apply for local street parking permits.

Once the home is open what residents parking will be available?

Once the home is open the closure of existing entrances to the site releases space (the equivalent to 5-7 car spaces) - currently yellow lined which could potentially be released for street parking. At this time we cannot say exactly what the roadside allocation will be when works are complete.

We realise that parking is a concern for some residents and the council Development Committee will take a view on the arrangements for parking, specifically in relation to the provision and impact of the development of the nursing home.

How has the council worked with residents and what consultation has been carried out on developing the new home?

Community engagement is at the heart of plans to offer high-quality dementia care in the borough. More than 150 letters outlining the council's plans for the site were hand-delivered to homes and businesses in Browns Road, Warwick Grove, Alpha Road and South Place on 7 February 2019.

The local community were invited to meet with the project team, view plans, elevations and a 3D model of the new nursing home at three drop-in sessions at the old Newent Nursing Home (15, 16, and 20 February 2019). 27 residents and two local businesses attended the drop-in sessions. Visitors were invited to leave comments and questions on the plans, with feedback collated and submitted as a Statement of Community Involvement, along with the formal planning submission.

Where can I see the plans for the new home?

The plans for the new home can be viewed on the council’s planning portal, along with all documents submitted with the planning application. 

I have a question, who can I speak to?

We will continue to regularly update this page and there is also a Site Manager on the premises during working hours.

If you have any more questions in the meantime please email: dementiahome@kingstonconversation.co.uk.