Plans for a new care home have been recommended for approval amid major opposition
Various local authorities in Shropshire have flagged concerns over plans to build a new care home despite its potential to save the local NHS money.
LNT Care Developments, the leading scale supplier of care homes operating on a zero-carbon basis, is asking Shropshire Council for permission to build a 66-bed care home on part of the Old Smithfield Car Park in Bridgnorth.
Following the request, the council’s planning officers are recommending that the South Planning Committee approvals the proposal at a meeting they have scheduled for 13th December.
According to the Secretary of State, this proposed plan could see developers providing £83,000 over two years to pay towards potential costs for the local NHS.
Against this backdrop, providing another care home could also help Care Quality Comission’s (CQC) request to ask the government to fund better pay for care staff to tackle the gridlocked system.
Due to the current rising costs of living, care home staff are leaving the sector to find better paying jobs, but with CQC demanding more from the government and new care homes becoming available to work in, more staff could enter the sector, relieving current pressures.
However, despite local authorities recommending their plan to be approved, there have been a number of objections to the new care home project; Bridgnorth Town Council, Shropshire Community Health Trust and Shropshire Council’s own conservation department have all raised issues.
Bridgnorth Town Council has stressed the negative impact the site will have on the on the Conservation Area and the significant loss of parking spaces that will be built over.
Although, in a report, Planning Officer Grahame French said the site was privately owned and parking could be ‘withdrawn’ at any time, adding that the previous approval for shops at the location, granted by the Secretary of State on appeal, showed the loss of parking is considered acceptable.
Mr French’s report also relieves an objection from Shropshire Council’s own conservation team, which said the design of the three-storey home caused ‘considerable concern’ over its impact on the conversation area and nearby listed buildings.
The report states: ‘The design of the care home has been amended in response to comments from the Conservation Officer.
‘It is considered that the design responds appropriately to its surroundings and can be accepted in this location.’
Additionally, Sport England have raised concerns about the fact that the care home will be situated near the cricket club, sparking worries about cricket balls hitting the building, it’s solar panels or residents.
However, Mr French has reassured that the applicant proposing the plans for the care home has stated the glass and netting that will equip the home will be ‘cricket ball proof’ and that ‘additional planting would be undertaken within the site along the boundary with the cricket club’.
Photo by Scott Blake