The owners of a nursing home in Stratton-on-the-Fosse have been given permission to demolish the building, which they describe as "outdated", and build a new one in its place.

A planning application for the demolition of an existing care home and the building of a care home (C2) with associated external amenity space, access, car parking, landscaping and other associated works at Fosse House Nursing Home, South Street, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, had been submitted by Fosse House Care Home Ltd.

The plans are to demolish the existing Fosse House home, which has bedrooms for 37 residents, and build a new 50-bedroom care home with associated access and landscaping/amenity space.

The planning application said: "The existing care home at Fosse House does not now meet current standards.

"The building structure requires ongoing extensive maintenance which is increasing dramatically as time progresses.

"The majority of bedrooms do not have en-suite facilities with residents having to share bathrooms and toilet areas.

"The bedroom size does not meet the current minimum requirements as set out by the National Minimum Strandards: Care Homes Regulations.

"The communal facilities are limited to a dining room and lounge area with no additional facilities such as gym, cinema, etc.

"The plan layout cannot easily be divided into small groups of rooms to avoid cross-contamination between clusters.

"There is no welcoming entrance area for visitors where residents can sit in a café environment with their relatives.

"The fixtures, fittings and decoration are very outdated and also not in line with the recommendations of the National Minimum Strandards: Care Homes Regulations.

"The condition of the existing care home is now not sympathetic to residents with dementia and the new care home will provide a high quality domestic environment exceeding the standards set out by the Care Home Regulations which will deliver significant health and well being benefits.

"The care home will be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and will represent a significant improvement on the existing care home.

"Unlike the existing building, all of the bedrooms will be en-suite wet rooms and the standard of amenity facilities will be significantly enhanced. These facilities will include dining rooms and lounges, a gym, a cinema, a café and a spa.

"By providing additional amenity facilities the residents will be able to lead more varied, fulfilling and active lives.

"Without this redevelopment there is a strong prospect that, in the future, the current care home will no longer be fit for purpose.

"It will not meet future CQC requirements, and residents and their families will choose other locations which offer better facilities.

"This redevelopment will secure the future of care locally enabling people to remain in the area as their care needs increase and safeguard jobs at a range of skill levels."

Stratton-on-the-Fosse Parish Council supported the plans, saying that the en-suite facilities would be a big advantage for the new home.

In approving the plans, the Mendip planning officer's report said: "The proposal keeps the building set back into the site while retaining as much landscaping and trees as possible while gaining the quantum of development required.

"The palette of materials sits comfortably with the street scene and the breaking up of different material helps break up the massing.

"The impact on the wider landscape to the rear of the site would be little different from existing.

"In summary, the proposal by reason of its design, siting, scale, massing, layout and materials is acceptable and contributes and responds to the local context, and maintains the character and appearance of the surrounding area and wider landscape."