AFTER more than two years of speculation and uncertainty over the future of Le Court, the Leonard Cheshire Foundation has finally unveiled its detailed plans for the Greatham home.

Staff and the 40 residents at Le Court were briefed yesterday on the foundationÕs plans. A planning application was also submitted to district planners yesterday.

Under the proposals a new, smaller, care home would be built on the site of the original pre-1950s home of Le Court, which will cater for and support up to 20 disabled residents.

The second phase of the plan is to build a new similar-sized care home near to Le Court, although a location has not yet been identified.

An integrated resource centre offering a range of services for disabled people in a nearby town, likely to be in east Hampshire, is also included in the plans, as well as a 24 hour supported housing scheme.

Care at home services, providing support for disabled people living in their own homes in the area, will also be developed to make disabled people more independent.

All aspects of the different levels of care will be closely linked and collectively managed to ensure that residents are well supported and form a collective community.

Details of the second phase will be finalised after planners have made a decision over the planning application, which also seeks to develop 24 private homes near Le Court.

It is hoped that the sale of the land for the private homes will help the Leonard Cheshire Foundation to raise the necessary cash needed for its project, which it is believed has a price tag of around £7 million.

Once the new Le Court home is built, the foundation wants to demolish the existing building and build 16 new private family homes on its site.

The foundation is also seeking permission to restore and convert the existing farm complex for use as eight private apartments and homes.

Director general Bryan Dutton said: ÒThe planning application submitted is the first step in a process that will take up to four years to complete.

ÒThroughout the coming years we will be consulting with all involved in Le Court and, in particular, the residents who live there.

ÒWe will be listening carefully to their concerns and aspirations for the future and working with each individual resident to ensure their needs are met. Their concerns are totally understood and we are sensitive to them.

ÒIn recent years in other parts of the United Kingdom we have closed old or poorly-located homes and reprovided a range of services for disabled people in a similar way.

ÒWhilst initially there was great trepidation and worry, finally, there has been an acknowledgement of a better quality of life, independence and choice.

ÒWe are determined to provide modern, very high quality support for disabled people in south Hampshire for the next two decades.Ó

Uncertainty has surrounded the future of Le Court, the birthplace of the Leonard Cheshire Foundation, since The Herald revealed in April 2000 that its future was being examined.

Le Court does not comply with new government legislation enforcing a new minimum standard of care which, Mr Dutton explained, meant that the foundation was left with two options - to close Le Court or redevelop it.

He told The Herald that the foundation agreed that closure was ÒunthinkableÓ, meaning that redevelopment was the only option, but this sparked fears that some residents may be forced out of their homes against their will.

But the director said that he was ÒconfidentÓ that the concerns of residents and their families would be addressed through a series of meetings over the coming years.

He said: ÒChange is always difficult and we recognise this. However, we are faced with one of two options; either to simply close the home or, as we intend, to redevelop new services of the highest quality in the area and to provide for disabled people in southern Hampshire in the future.

ÒIn the meantime, we will ensure that the needs of every single individual for whom we currently provide services will be met in a sensitive way.Ó

Development plans will also continue, despite the ongoing attempts by three residents to convince the courts to force the foundation to ditch its proposals.

Mr Dutton also told The Herald that the Leonard Cheshire Foundation still intends to continue to employ the present 90-strong work force which staffs Le Court, and said that there was even a possibility of creating additional jobs once the new-look Le Court and all its facilities were up and running.

A key part of the new plans is to increase Le CourtÕs links with the local community, which it hopes to achieve through the homeÕs new supported housing, care at home and through its second care home.

Mr Dutton said: ÒLe Court is a little bit isolated, it is its own little community and we want to try and encourage residents to become a little more independent and involved in the community. It is all about social inclusion.Ó

The new plans already have the backing of Social Services.

Glyn Jones, county manager for physical disability at Hampshire County Council, said: ÒAs a Social Services department we are supportive of moves by organisations to embrace the Social Model of Disability.

ÒThis is a strong theme in our current commissioning plan and will still be the case in our emerging plan.

ÒIt is important that people are empowered to control as many aspects of their lives as is possible and that both commissioners and providers of services facilitate this.Ó

As well as seeking the views of residents at Le Court Mr Dutton said that he was keen to hear the thoughts of residents living near the Greatham home.

An exhibition of the plans will take place in Greatham Village Hall on May 23 and 24 between 9 am and 5 pm, and on May 25 between 9 am and noon.