Charity frustrated over planning delays
A TRUSTEE of the Abbeyfield Society Loughborough has spoken of the frustration felt with local planners over delays to an application which it says is costing the charity £2,000 a month. The society is a not for profit charity which has two houses in Loughborough. One of these is a “sheltered” house and the other looks after people with dementia. Last April the charity submitted a planning application to Charnwood Borough Council seeking permission to demolish a house on Ashby Road in order to build a new complex to cater for people with dementia. The society says that target date for a decision was set for July 18, but on July 4, the society heard that the planning officer was “minded” to reject the application. Trustee, Frank Fay, spokesman for Abbeyfield told the Echo: “The society asked for an extension until 27th September to address the issues which the planning officer had raised. Further information was supplied on 19th August. “The society was then informed that the council’s tree officer had not completed a site visit and so there was no tree survey available. This was duly completed and submitted on 10th August. “A further meeting was agreed for 10th September which was then postponed, at the planning officer’s request, until 17th September. “Subsequently the society was informed that the council’s ecologist needed to do a bat survey. This was completed by 8th October. “A further meeting was held on 17th October where the society was told that despite the further submissions the planning officer was still “minded” to refuse planning permission. “The society instructed its architects to carry out further design amendments to the plan and to address the issues raised about the trees and car parking at the site. This was done and the society was expecting a decision on 21st November. “On the 7th November the society was informed that no response to the new submissions had been received from the Tree Officer or the Highways Authority and so the plans could not go to the planning meeting on 21st November. “The society has now been informed that the application will be submitted on 21st December, 19, nine months after the original application was submitted.” Mr Fay added: “The Abbeyfield Society needs to build a new house for dementia care on the same site as its house on Westfield Drive to generate the economies of scale which will make both houses viable.
“Without a second house there is a question mark about the economic viability of the society’s house on Westfield Drive.
“There is a growing need for affordable dementia care in the Loughborough area.
“If planning permission is not obtained the society has no viable alternative use for the house on Ashby Road and so will have to consider selling the house to a developer.
“Each month’s delay in demolishing the house on Ashby Road costs the society £2,000.
“So since the original application was made the society will have had to spend £16,000 maintaining an empty property half of which is due to the delays caused by the Planning Department.
“The society is most frustrated with the lack of co-ordination within and co-operation from the planning officer at Charnwood Borough Council and is most disappointed that planning permission may not be granted for these much needed extra dementia beds in Loughborough.”
In reply a spokesperson for Charnwood Borough Council said: “The council has a duty to follow a full and proper planning process which is in the best interests of the borough.
“This is a complex application which involves the demolition of a building within a Conservation Area. This Conservation Area status means planning controls are more stringent than usual to protect the area.
“The council did have some initial concerns about the application, and, at the request of the applicant, the council postponed the determination of the application. Since then we’ve engaged with the applicant to try and overcome these areas of concern.
“We accept there have been some delays, including comments from statutory consultees not arriving in time to make the plans committee agenda for the meeting on November 21. However, we have a duty to ensure all submitted information is properly considered and scrutinised.
“The planning application is expected to be reported to the next available plans committee on December 19.
“Whilst it is regrettable that the application is taking longer than originally anticipated to determine, the local planning authority has a duty to make sure the proper process is followed.”