A year after Woking Borough Council sold a care home to a developer, expecting a new one in its place, the site has been sold on to Lidl.

The bankrupt council, which has the biggest debt per resident of any local authority in the UK (£20,600), closed Brockhill Extra Care Home in Clifton Way and sold it to Frontier Estates last year because it could not justify the costs of required fire safety measures and replacement of its failed heating system – likely to reach £5.8 million over 10 years.

The council wanted the 1.92-acre site to continue to be used for care for elderly people but says it has now learned it has been sold on to the supermarket chain.

In a statement leader of the council, Cllr Ann-Marie Barker, said: “Throughout the sales process, the council was clear that we wanted the site to continue to be used for accommodation for older and vulnerable residents.

“Our planning policies clearly support this retention for specialist residential accommodation, including sheltered housing and care homes.

“Appropriate due diligence was carried out in selecting a purchaser. Frontier Estates is a recognised provider of bespoke care facilities and had shared proposals for an 86-bed care home. Heads of terms for the land purchase were developed and signed on that basis.

“Whilst other offers were received, they did not support the retention of the site for specialist residential accommodation. Frontier’s offer represented both the strongest financial return and a written intention to develop a new care home facility in accordance with our planning policies.

“Although Frontier has sold its interest in the site to Lidl, this change in ownership does not alter the planning status of the site.

“Any new proposal must reflect the council’s adopted planning policies, which support the site’s retention for specialist residential accommodation.”

Frontier Estates has been approached to respond and we will update if the firm offers comment.

Image: Google.

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