APPG ON HOUSING AND CARE FOR THE ELDERLY
OCTOBER 2014
Niall McLaughlin spoke at the latest All-Party Parliamentary Group meeting on Housing and Care for Older People, which was held at the House of Lords this month. The meeting explored the relationship between housing and dementia, with contributions from invited architects, academics and practitioners in the field.
The aim of the APPG, which was set up in 2009 and is chaired by Lord Richard Best, is to highlight the importance of the role of housing, alongside social care and health, in the development of support and services for older people. The forum aims to encourage an integrated approach to care for the elderly in relation to these three areas and provide a forum for setting government agenda.
PARK HOSPITAL GRANTED OUTLINE PLANNING
JANUARY 2013
The development of Park Hospital has been granted Outline Planning Consent by the Oxford City Council. The project will redevelop the existing Park Hospital site into additional biomedical research facilities for Oxford University’s Old Road Campus.
The campus is one of the foremost biomedical research campus’ in the UK. As part of the University’s vision to remain a world leader in this field, the redevelopment of Park Hospital will provide an additional 48,000 square metres of accommodation for research and laboratory facilities.
The site is located in a challenging planning environment as it is adjacent to a local wildlife site, connected to the Lye Valley, a site of special scientific interest. Wide ranging consultation took place during the pre-planning phases of the application, on account of the ecological sensitivities of the site and to ensure that the development would benefit the local area.