Care home plans to spark legal fight

TWO separate applications to build a controversial care home have caused anger with residents and at least one will end in a legal battle.

New Care Project want to create a 71-bed home at Robins Lane, Bramhall and Stockport council received its planning application in September last year.

But the company became fed up of waiting for a decision and submitted an appeal against the council to the Planning Inspectorate.

Planners had raised concerns over the scale of the development, part of which would be four stories high, so New Care Project also submitted a second version of the plans.

Both have caused considerable objections from nearby residents, largely over traffic generation and were discussed at a Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme South area committee meeting.

Members refused the first application on the grounds the development’s scale will be overbearing and too large for the area. This decision will be taken into the forthcoming legal battle.

The second, which still has 71 beds but will be no higher than three stories, is recommended for approval for by planning officers.

But after concerns were raised over the amount of traffic that would be generated a decision has been delayed and will be made by the council’s planning and highways committee following a site visit.

Resident Gary Smith spoke at the meeting and said: “The main concern for local residents relate to safety issues from the additional on street parking.”

He added that reports produced by New Care Project provided ‘inconsistent’ figures on how much traffic would be generated.

Stockport has a shortage of elderly care home beds and desperately needs more to be created.

But Councillor Alanna Vine said: “I think we have grounds to turn it down on the highways impact.

“If people are in care homes they have family visiting them. Public transport is insufficient.”

The 29 car parking spaces included in the plans exceed the minimum amount specified by the council.

Should the care home be given approval, two houses on the site will be demolished.

No one from New Care Project attended the meeting to speak. The planning and highway decision will be made on June 21.