A DEVELOPMENT site with planning consent for a 60-bedroom care home in Horndean has been sold.

The care-home scheme is situated within a larger urban extension which includes up to 800 new homes, a two-form entry primary school, a local centre with shops and other community facilities, and a community building, all of which is set among 25 acres of playing fields and woodland spaces.

Highwood Group and Barchester Healthcare achieved reserved matters planning permission in April for a ‘C’-shaped care-home design featuring en-suite bedrooms over the ground and first floors.

Resident amenities include various lounge spaces, a dining room, shop, salon and a café. One of the lounges and the activity room will have access to terraces which will offer views over the grounds of the development and the South Downs National Park. Externally, landscaped gardens are expected to surround the scheme, complete with a pedestrian walkway and pond.

Highwood Group is a privately- owned development company with more than 30 years of experience.

Highwood Group director Phil Prosser said: “Having promoted Horndean for a number of years as a new retirement community, we are absolutely delighted to have finally completed on the site and transacted on the first phase with our partners Barchester Healthcare, where we will be developing a first-class care home on the edge of the national park.”

Barchester Healthcare is one of the largest care providers in the United Kingdom, running more than 200 care homes and seven registered hospitals across the country.

Julian Burgess, of Barchester Healthcare, said: “Barchester Healthcare is absolutely delighted to be part of this development.

“We have worked exceptionally hard with Highwood to create a beautifully-designed care home – and it will provide more than 60 new jobs from the local area, too.

“Barchester are also looking forward to becoming part of the immediate retirement and healthcare community, and indeed the wider community in Horndean.”

Work on site is set to start in October with the doors opening in summer 2023. Christie & Co was the selling agent and the site was sold for an undisclosed price.

Jordan Rundle, director at Christie & Co, said: “Demographic analysis identified a significant demand for elderly care-home beds in the catchment which is predicted to grow materially by 2029.

“Highwood Group is bringing forward an outstanding urban extension scheme for the local community and Barchester Healthcare is well positioned to serve the growing requirement for market standard beds in the area.”