Plans to build a new 90-bed care home in Peckham will stay as they are after a group of councillors questioned the decision-making process leading up to its cabinet approval last month.
During a cabinet meeting on October 14, Southwark Council confirmed that land at 128-148 Asylum Road and 133-137 Queens Road will be used for a new care home site which, subject to planning approval, is set to open in late 2029.
The council entered a 999-year lease agreement with Andover Properties, which includes at least 50per cent of the beds being let out to the council at discounted rates for an initial 10-year period.
The remaining 50per cent bed-space will be for private-funded residents however they will all receive the same quality of care, environment and meals on offer.
A Nursing Home Needs Assessment from August 2024 highlighted the need for in-borough care provision, due to demand currently outstripping supply and residents’ needs becoming increasingly complex, as well as rates in dementia rising.
Councillors Suzanne Abachor, Esme Dobson, Maria Linforth-Hall, Sandra Rhule and Charlie Smith called-in the plans Tuesday (November 11) as they sought clarification on the steps taken by the council which led to the decision.
A call-in allows councillors to scrutinise an executive decision which has not yet been implemented, but can result in a decision being reconsidered by cabinet.
Cllr Abachor, who is chair of the health and social care scrutiny commission, said: “This call-in is not about questioning the need for more care home provisions in Southwark, we all agree that additional good quality nursing homes are vital for our residents – what we are seeking today is clarity and assurance that the decision-making process for the Asylum Road care home has fully complied with the council’s principles of transparency and accountability.”
Cllr Abachor went on to say the commission “carefully reviewed” the decision, and found several areas of concern which needed further explanation before the implementing process.
These included concerns around consultation and engagement with key stakeholders, and concerns that cabinet members were not provided with “sufficiently comprehensive” legal, financial or sector-specific advice.
In response to the concerns raised by health and social care scrutiny members, Evelyn Akoto, who is cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “This proposal exists because Southwark has a gap in nursing care capacity within the borough. Right now, families are having to place their loved ones out of the borough because of a lack of capacity and it’s important that we deal with this right now.
“Some of you will know that we have an ageing population and it states that by 2041, six out of 10 of our residents will be someone [over] the age of 64. We know that we’re living longer but yet with more complex needs so it’s important that we actually start addressing that right now and the Asylum Road nursing home gives us a way to do this.”
Cllr Helen Dennis, cabinet member for new homes and sustainable development, added: “As cabinet member, I am assured the process surrounding the land transaction followed council policy as set out in our asset management plan and how we deal with the disposal of surplus lands – it’s not just a kind of pure disposal in this instance but a disposal for social purpose and for the aims and objectives of the council.”
Stephen Platts, Director of Planning and Growth at Southwark Council, said: “I really do believe this will deliver a fantastic outcome for Southwark and its residents as quickly as possible and we feel that the advice is correct, and the process was followed correctly.
“There will be a lot of further opportunities over the next four to five years for additional scrutiny for discussions around both the planning application, details of design, scale, height massing and layout, and then when we get onto the care contract as well.”
By the end of the meeting, the council’s overview and scrutiny committee confirmed it was happy for the original cabinet decision to be implemented, but suggested several future recommendations be made based on the discussions that were had last night.
