Report by Jon Cooper – Local Democracy Reporter
Derbyshire planners have provisionally given the go-ahead for a new 40-bed care home scheme in Chesterfield despite objections about increased traffic, insufficient parking and fears from some residents that the two-storey development will be overbearing and overshadowing.
Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee provisionally gave the green light to applicant Lifestyle Gold Ltd’s scheme at a meeting on December 22 to convert the Lifestyle Village Clubhouse supported-living accommodation, on High Street, Old Whittington, and demolish part of the property and construct a new building for a 40-bed care home with parking and landscaping.
A council spokesperson stated: “Overall and subject to conditions the proposal is considered to be acceptable.”
The scheme involves the partial demolition of half of Goldcrest House, the conversion of the existing clubhouse property, and building a large extension to form the care home with alterations and extensions to existing buildings.
It will feature a three-storey main extension but part of the development will be ‘cut in’ to create a lower ground level to the south-east facing High Street so the building will appear to be two storeys when seen from the retained part of Goldcrest House.
The existing clubhouse will also be converted to form part of the facility and includes a two-storey extension to the south replacing a single storey garage.
A new car park is planned with a retaining wall and replacement landscaping due to the removal of 11 trees and there will be a new path from High Street away from the vehicle entrance.
The council received ten letters during a public consultation with nine of them raising objections and one of them was deemed as ‘neutral’.
Objections to the scheme included concerns for increased traffic and insufficient parking with highways safety concerns regarding the entrance and a blind bend on High Street.
One resident stated: “If the care home is approved then both the additional traffic created and the additional footfall will severely impact the lives of the existing residents.”
The same resident added: “There is currently insufficient parking for residents and many have to park offsite near to the Swanwick Memorial Hall and walk to the site.
“This raises the congestion level on nearby streets and has led to several near misses especially when children are entering or leaving the nearby primary school on Church Street.”
However, Derbyshire County Council’s Highways authority stated that the development will not have a significant impact on the highway network and the current access point allows for the necessary width and emerging visibility splays for High Street and that the proposed parking provision for the scheme is considered appropriate.
Some raised concerns the scheme will be overbearing and overshadowing for nearby residents and that it will pose noise and disturbance with a loss of trees and independent supported-living accommodation with drainage overuse and a threat to wildlife.
Cllr Barry Bingham said: “It does impact upon independent living, and independent living was for independent people but we are taking these places away.
“Roughly a mile away there is a care home and there is a new one at Whittington Moor to be built. It is taking independent living away from elderly residents. That is my main concern.”
He added: “There is not enough parking there. This is my ward and I know every inch of my ward so I know the impacts of what is happening in my area so when visitors come for a 30, 40-bed care home where are they going to park? They are going to park on the streets. I will be voting against this.”
However, the council believes the site is in a sustainable location in the Old Whittington Conservation Area near services and that the roofline will be at the level of the existing clubhouse roof so it will be set down into the landscape to reduce any impact and there will be an angled window scheme to limit the risk of overlooking a property to the east.
A council spokesperson added: “The proposed development has been amended during the application process to consider impacts on surrounding residential occupiers and future residents.”
The borough council also pointed out the applicant has no obligation to prove a need for the development after considering Derbyshire County Council’s opposition to the replacement of independent living accommodation and its claims that there isn’t a need for residential care beds.
The borough council also believes the site is not at risk of flooding based on Environment Agency Flood Maps but it has agreed that final approval for the scheme will be subject to a Derbyshire County Council Flood Authority statement yet to be submitted.
Yorkshire Water has also requested drainage assessment amendments with conditions covering separate foul or surface water drainage on and off the site and full details of surface water drainage.
Cllr Kate Caulfield told the meeting she was concerned about the access to the site due to a blind bend and about the possible increase in traffic but she supported the care home scheme despite her additional worries over the loss of independent, supported living accommodation.
The planning committee voted by a majority to delegate authority to the borough council’s Development Management and Conservation Manager to grant planning permission subject to a positive response from the county council’s flood authority and subject to a number of other conditions.
Other conditions include the submission of a Construction Environmental Management Plan and that a contamination investigation should be carried out before any work, and that constructions times should be restricted and that a landscaping scheme will need to be submitted for the planning committee to approve.
