Care provider Barchester Healthcare has acquired a freehold site with full planning consent granted for a 76-bedroom care home development in Billericay in Essex.

Care home developer, Frontier Estates, secured planning permission earlier in the year for a luxury care home scheme design including en suite wet rooms, lounge and dining spaces, a cinema, a hair salon, activity spaces, and exterior spaces including landscaped gardens and roof terrace.

Construction of the care home should be completed in the third quarter of 2025.

Barchester runs more than 200 care homes and seven registered hospitals and is also a developer of new care homes.

Matt Croger, development director at Frontier Estates, said: “It has taken four years from conception to the achievement of planning on this one, and I am very pleased that such a high-quality and conscientious operator has taken this scheme on. It is great to see Frontier and Barchester’s partnership continue to provide high-quality facilities for the care of the future.”

Julian Burgess, land buyer at Barchester Healthcare, commented: “We have worked exceptionally hard with Frontier to create a beautifully designed care home and will provide over 60 new jobs taken from the local area too. We are also looking forward to becoming part of the immediate retirement and healthcare community and, indeed, the wider community in Billericay. Forging community links is something Barchester feels very strongly about.”

Business property advisor Christie & Co facilitated the sale.

Jordan Rundle, director, healthcare development and investment at Christie & Co, said: “Achieving consent in the current planning environment is far from straightforward, and Frontier has, once again, been successful in securing detailed permission in a high-quality location. Following a tailored marketing process, interest in the site was strong and we received several competitive offers.”