Muller Property Group is pleased to announce that outline planning permission has been approved today by Cheshire East Council’s Strategic Planning Board for the development of a new 80-bedroom care home on land off Peter De Stapleigh Way, Stapeley, Nantwich.
The care home, forming part of the wider Maylands Park mixed-use development, will deliver much-needed residential care accommodation for older people, including specialist nursing and dementia care. The approved application (Ref: 24/4228/OUT) also includes associated infrastructure, public open space, and green landscaping. Landscaping will be subject to a future reserved matters application.
The development is located on a sustainably positioned site at the edge of the Nantwich settlement boundary, offering convenient access to local services and facilities. The care home is designed over three storeys, in keeping with the high-quality design of neighbouring residential and retirement developments, including the recently approved McCarthy & Stone retirement apartments.
Demonstrated Local Need for Care Accommodation
The proposal is underpinned by clear and pressing local demand. The latest care needs assessment highlights that the proportion of residents aged 85 and over in Cheshire East is 40% higher than the national average. In the Nantwich study area specifically, the number of people aged 85+ is projected to rise by 59% by 2040 – significantly outpacing national trends.
Currently, within a 3-mile radius of the site, there are 10 existing care homes for older people providing 492 registered care beds, of which 362 are en-suite. However, with an anticipated opening date for the new care home in 2026/27, the analysis identifies a current outstanding need for 111 additional care beds in the local area – rising to 164 beds by 2030.
Key benefits of the development include:
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Delivery of an 80-bed care home (Use Class C2) addressing the growing shortfall in local care accommodation.
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Contribution to the Council’s five-year housing land supply in a manner that directly meets the needs of an aging population.
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Enhanced public open space provision as part of the wider Maylands Park masterplan.
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Creation of construction and long-term employment opportunities.
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Economic uplift through increased trade for local shops and services.
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Positive health and social outcomes through specialist elderly care and dementia support.
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Location within a well-connected and sustainable site, near local facilities and public transport routes.
The care home will be situated on a parcel of land previously designated for a primary school in the original outline planning consent for Maylands Park. Following a reassessment of local education needs, the Council confirmed that the school is no longer expected to be delivered, making the site available for alternative, community-serving uses.
While the site technically falls within open countryside beyond the settlement boundary, the Council acknowledged the scheme’s alignment with local and national planning objectives – particularly the emphasis in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) on meeting the needs of older people – and determined that the overall social, economic and environmental benefits of the development significantly outweigh any policy conflicts.
Access to the site will be provided via the approved traffic light junction on Peter De Stapleigh Way, with an internal spine road already constructed as part of earlier phases of development. The care home will integrate seamlessly with adjacent schemes including the approved 40-unit Anwyl residential development and McCarthy & Stone’s 49-unit retirement living scheme.
Muller Property Group will now prepare a reserved matters application for landscaping and progress toward the delivery of the development along side our development partner, with construction targeted to begin following final approvals.
