NEW plans for a state-of-the-art care village have been lodged with East Lothian Council.

The facility, earmarked for vacant land at Kirk Park to the rear of Inveresk Church, would have 59 registered care beds and 171 extra care units for around 311 people.

A planning statement, issued on behalf of Cinnamon Retirement Living (Inveresk) Ltd, said that about 131 full-time jobs would be generated by the care village, which was “compatible” with neighbouring residential areas.

The main building would have “a multitude of services”, mainly for residents but also open to the public.

They would include a restaurant, bar, gym, exercise studio, craft rooms, shop, spa, training room, cinema, library and meeting room.

In 2010, a planning application was approved by East Lothian Council’s planning committee for a care village on the site subject to completion of a legal agreement. The facility was to have two care homes, totalling 195 registered care beds and 179 extra care units, together with a range of communal facilities and services to support the resident population assessed at about 478 people.

Then in 2018, a new developer, Richmond Villages, confirmed its plans for a care village at Kirk Park were no longer progressing.

The same year, Cinnamon Retirement Living agreed to purchase the site subject to planning for a revised care village scheme based on its “proven operational model”.

The care home would provide three small self-contained units – the first specialising in dementia care, the second in frail elderly nursing care and the third in residential elderly care.

The extra-care suites would provide fully supported living for older people who require higher levels of care and support but for whom, with extra support, are able to live independently in their own home.

The extra-care apartments, situated outside of the village care centre, would provide a supported living environment for older people who need lower levels of care and support than suite occupiers.

A company spokesman said: “The proposal has been the subject of a public consultation and has received strong local support and positive feedback.

“The proposed care village caters for a wide range of older people who need varying levels of care and support in a state-of-the-art facility.

“This model of care and accommodation is a sophisticated and flexible response to the many different and individual care and support needs of older people whose circumstances vary from day to day.

“There are also benefits to the wider community. The village will employ approximately 130 (FTE) people in a diversity of roles including management, administration, reception, hospitality, caring, nursing, activities, housekeeping, maintenance, driving and gardening.

“The spa will offer an external age-restricted membership, whilst the restaurant, shop and cafe bar are open to non-residents.”

John Manning, chairman of Inveresk Village Society, said that, overall, the society was supportive of the concept of a care home being built on the land but stressed the need to consider the site’s history.

He added: “The traffic survey implies no significant difference in volume to the Tesco roundabout; however, we are concerned that Olive Bank Road is constantly heavily congested and causing traffic to divert through other routes like Inveresk, Monktonhall, Newhailes and Wallyford.”