End of an era as bottling plant is set for housing (From Malvern Gazette)
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End of an era as bottling plant is set for housing
12:11pm Friday 8th February 2013 in News By Robert Hale
THE historic former Malvern water bottling plant in Colwall is set to be transformed into a nursing home and houses. The proposal includes 10 affordable homes, 12 detached retirement cottages, a 46-bedroom nursing home and a new site for one of the existi
THE historic former Malvern Water bottling plant is set to be transformed into a nursing home and houses.
Affordable houses for young families and a nursing home are among a developer's proposals for the plant at Colwall.
The proposal includes 10 affordable homes and five openmarket properties, aimed at young people and families.
There will also be 12 detached retirement cottages, a 46-bedroom nursing home and a new site for one of the existing village shops.
Blue Cedar Homes, part of property developer Eagle One, bought the site from Coca Cola Enterprises, which closed the plant down in October 2010. It has now sent in a planning application to Herefordshire Council.
Last summer the developer held a public exhibition at Colwall to show residents what was planned for the site.
This week, Blue Cedar said its architects Nash Partnership had “taken a great deal of care to incorporate residents’ feedback”.
Changes include giving the listed Tank House more prominence in the site, reducing the number of retirement houses from 14 to 12 and reducing the nursing home from 60 to 46 beds.
Blue Cedar area director Nick Cooper said: “The public exhibition held last year was very well attended with a lot of positive feedback about the community benefits of the scheme, including the need for a nursing home and retirement accommodation.
“We are pleased to be submitting an application that will bring a range of real benefits to area, not least in meeting identified local affordable housing needs.”
John Harcup of Malvern Spa Association said: “It’s a bit disappointing. We would have liked to keep the original factory, perhaps converted into the nursing home, or as small business units or even a spa/leisure centre.”
The bottling plant was built in 1892. Coca Cola closed it, saying it was no longer competitive.
MalvernWater bottled there had achieved worldwide fame, including royal warrants from the Queen and other senior royals.
Marrowman says...
9:06pm Sun 10 Feb 13
How many more 'sheltered accommodation/care homes/retirement homes do we really need'? (Many of them only seem to be half full - for example; Elgar Lodge in Malvern Link)
If this area is to grow and prosper, surely we should be looking to provide family accommodation and employment opportunities.
There is more that could be done to attract a wider range of visitors to the Malvern Hills. For example - if you've been to Bath or York recently, where is our 'Pump House Tea Rooms' or 'Betty's'?
I think, rather than a retirement home, this has the potential to be the area's next tourist attraction.