A NEW care village in Weymouth could begin as early as March 2016 if approved by council.

The final public consultations took place last week at the site by Newton's Cove.

Following the first consultation, several suggestions raised by the public have been incorporated into the new design including, the museum and café moving to the entrance of the site, the softening of the roofscape, planting on top of the buildings and the whole village will now be on the height of the hill or below.

Back in 2013 New Care Horizons unveiled their plans to transform the QinetiQ site in Weymouth into a multi-million pound care home village, featuring a museum, café, restaurant and promenade, that the public will be able to access.

Martin Ross, one of the directors of New Care Horizons, said: "The visitors who have come through this time had more serious and specific questions about the site. There were very few concerns and a lot of people have been asking when can they move in.

"Where is it is just silent and it is five minutes from the centre of town. The location is perfect."

Stephen Limbrick, from Robert Limbrick Architects, said: "I've been involved in this from the start and it has been a bit stop start at times but certainly over the last six months we have listened to the feedback and English Heritage and developed plans into a real workable model.

"A lot of work has been achieved with consultants, looking at every aspect across the site.

"This is going to be an expensive site to build and we are delighted to have the opportunity to build it. I think it will be a huge asset for Weymouth."

Martin and Chris Ross, of New Care Horizons, said they were “pleased” with the plans and said they wanted to village to be “vibrant,” with a mixture of people using the public facilities, although the home itself will be secure for residents.

The father and son team said they hoped to get a planning application into Weymouth and Portland Borough Council by the end of the month.

If the project is given the green light, construction could begin in March 2016, with a build time of 24-30 months.

The village will employ more than 200 permanent staff across different areas of expertise and the team said there would also be additional jobs for locals during the construction phase.

Ruth Hawkins, from Dorchester, who was at the consultation, said: "I think it's a good idea. It will be nice to have a care village in the area and I hope it all comes together. The views are beautiful and I really like the design. It's just an excellent idea in a perfect location."

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