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Wolverhampton Council has been granted outline planning permission for a £30m Dementia Care Centre in the city. The centre is being developed by the Wolverhampton and Walsall LIFTCo, a company set up to design, develop and construct the building to the city council’s specification.

LIFTCo will lease the dementia care centre back to the city council over a 25-year period, alongside health and social care infrastructure company Ashley House.

The 60-bed facility, on land adjacent to Waitrose in Graiseley Hill, is expected to include services such as respite care beds offering the carers of dementia sufferers a chance to take a break, reablement care beds for those recovering from time spent in hospital, expert advice information and support for carers.

There will also be day care facilities, which will allow service users to get specialist support and enjoy social activities, therapy rooms, meeting areas for use by carers’ groups and community organisations and an on-site restaurant.

Brian O’Leary, Wolverhampton City Council’s chief officer for transformation, said: “We are delighted that the proposals are progressing as planned, which is great news for people with dementia and their families in Wolverhampton.

“The help and support which we will be able to provide from this new centre is extensive, and will include everything from short stay beds and day care for people with dementia to dedicated facilities for carers."

An Outline Business Case will go before members of Wolverhampton City Council before it is formally submitted to the Department of Health, while a full planning application will follow in due course.

If successful, detailed design work will begin early next year and work is due to begin on site in early 2012. Early plans suggest that the centre would be open to the public by autumn 2013.