Sector: Healthcare
Location: Margate
Ward: Margate District Council
Status: Submitted for Planning
On Architecture has been appointed to consider the potential for development at the land south west of the Nightingales for specialist assisted living for young autistic persons, a non specialist care home and a special care centre for dementia. This is a hybrid application, with the care home and special care centre for dementia seeking outline approval for use, access and scale. The specialist assisted living for autistic persons is seeking detailed approval, for the layout, scale and appearance.
This document sets out our design processes, describing the site and surrounding area and key design and architectural principles drawn upon to inform the layout, scale and appearance that can be achieved on the site. The application site is located in the seaside town of Margate, with its vibrant old town and cultural tourist destinations, such as, the Turner Centre. Margate town centre, to the north, is a distance of 1.4 miles from the application site.
Just a 5 minute drive away is Westwood Cross shopping and leisure complex. Margate connects with the high speed rail link to London with a journey time of around 90 minutes, and connections to Ashford for the Eurostar to the continent.
The application site sits adjacent to The Nightingales development, which is blocks of two and three storey accommodation for hospital staff, medical students, and other key healthcare workers. All rooms are ensuite, with communal lounge and kitchen facilities. There is a road, which connects to the main hospital building, which sits to the right of this purpose built development. This maintains a good connection with the hospital, while keeping the living accommodation separate from the working environment.
It will enable the application site to utilise this connection and act as an expansion to the existing buildings on the site. Ramsgate Road is set back from the application site with a large area of, predominantly, residential properties running along the other side of the road. Ramsgate Road links Westwood Cross, to the south, with the centre of Margate, to the north, with good public transport routes, including a bus service, ‘The Loop’, running every 8 minutes.
The site is located approximately 1.4 miles from the town centre of Margate. There are a number of schools, shops, hotels, pubs and restaurants located nearby. There are also public transport links in close proximity to the site, with Margate train station a 27 minute walk.
