50-bed care home can now bowl along
Approval given for Livilands proposal
Plans for a new private care home on the site of a former bowling club have been given the goahead.
Stirling Council’s planning panel approved an application by Morrison Community Care Ltd last week for the 50-bed care home at the former Livilands Bowling Club, off Randolph Road.
Panel members heard that legal opinion had been sought during the process of determining the application.
Officials wanted to know whether the application could proceed in the light of policies laid down in the council’s Local Development Plan.
It has a presumption against further provision of private nursing or residential care home accommodation for adults and older people unless supported by the outcomes and commitments of plans drawn up by the Integration Joint Board for Stirling and Clackmannanshire.
The board favours a development that allows people to be supported in their homes, instead of going into care homes.
But council planners who had assessed the legal opinion told the panel while there were doubts over the policy in the LDP they (councillors) could not take these into account when determining the application.
Officials believed the use of the site for care home purposes within a residential area was otherwise consistent with the
LDP.
Chief planning officer Christina Cox said there had been a representation from a care industry body - although not directly in relation to the Livilands application which was challenging the legality of the policy in the LDP.
However, panel vice convener Councillor Danny Gibson said: “This is legal-speak. In theory any decision this organisation takes could be challengeable in court. What surety do we have in