Well House – the former care home in Chestnut Way, Brightlingsea – is on the market for an undisclosed sum.
The home closed in 2018. According to press reports at the time, Westcliff On Sea-based owner Essex County Care Ltd claimed it was no longer financially viable because Essex County Council wasn’t paying realistic rates for the residents it placed there. In 2017 a Care Quality Commission report found the home required improvement in four out of five categories.
In its financial statements for the year ended December 2019, Essex County Care said the decision to close Well House, along with other homes in Colchester and Walton, “was a decision which was not taken lightly by the directors”, and that it was “the best course of action of protect the interest of the company, and more importantly its residents”. It added: “At present the directors are reviewing the the potential uses of the closed sites and are working with various bodies to bring them back into economic use.”
Once owned and run by Essex County Council, the property is believed to be subject to a covenant that restricts its use to care-related activities. Around a year ago the property was the subject of local controversy when the mature trees surrounding the building were cut down. According to the building’s owners, this was to prevent subsidence.
Well House – which had 43 beds and covers 14403 sq ft– is being advertised by Southend-based estate agents Ayers & Cruiks as freehold and listed under “Healthcare, other property types and opportunities” on its website.
Brightlingsea Info has contacted Essex County Care and its agents for comment.
