New 70-bed care home for town looks set to be given green light
A NEW care home for Ashbourne looks set to be given the green light, as district councillors have been advised to approve plans for the 70-bedroom residential care facility.
The application for the development, which would be built in place of the dilapidated buildings at Leys Farm, off Wyaston Road, just opposite Hilltop Primary School, goes before councillors next week, and it has been recommended for approval.
It is the second attempt to win over the planners, after a previous design by Perseus Land and Developments was refused in the early summer because of concerns residential units on the site would overlook neighbouring homes, and because the design of the building was dubbed “incongruous”.
The new plan does not include any clusters of residential dwellings, only the self-contained single-site care home building, and a comprehensive plan to landscape the surrounding green spaces to form an “active” space.
The gardens surrounding the proposed building would include a multi-use lawn for summer games, with sensory and wildlife gardens and a circulation path around the lawned area with a summer house.
The new plans have already been welcomed by members of Ashbourne Town Council’s planning committee, and none of the statutory consultees lodged objections to the scheme, but five letters of objection were sent in.
Neighbours still have concerns over the building overlooking nearby properties, and they fear noise and odours will be apparent from the building’s kitchen and vehicle movements.
Other concerns were mentioned over issues that could arise during construction of the building and the landscaping of the gardens.
However, it was pointed out in a report to the district council’s planning committee, by case officer Sarah Arbon, that the developers would contribute £13,440 to Ashbourne Surgery and Ashbourne Medical Practice as part of its legal obligation under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act.
In her report, Ms Arbon discussed the impact of the loss of the farm house, which was built around 1830, and its surrounding buildings, which form a courtyard shape.
The house is a non-designated heritage asset, she points out but the heritage impact assessment concluded that it, “is neither remarkable as a domestic dwelling nor farmstead”.
Commenting on the redesign that will be discussed on Tuesday next week, she told councillors in the report: “It is considered that extensive amendments have been made to the scheme that have taken on board the refusal reasons and pre-application advice given which has resulted in a building that would sit comfortably within its context.
“The landscaping is considered high quality and would create a high quality environment for future residents, maintaining open areas to the east and west framed by existing trees.
“On this basis, it is considered that the previous refusal reason has been overcome and the loss of the existing farmhouse and farm-buildings is outweighed by the creation of a high quality building fit for its context.”
Addressing concerns over the building overlooking neighbours, she said: “The relationship with the surrounding properties has been significantly improved through the scaling down of the building by reducing it to predominantly one and half storeys.
“Distances between the existing dwellings on Premier Avenue are considered acceptable with sections provided to aid the assessment.
“It is acknowledged that the highest section of the building would be adjacent to the boundary with No 1 Premier Avenue, however, as the section illustrates that the proposed building would extend to the high of 10.5m to the ridge at a distance of 19m.
“The ground floor bedroom windows would be screened by the existing boundary wall and this property has its side gable adjacent to the boundary with non-habitable room windows on the ground and first floor.
“The proposed first floor windows of the kitchen would be high level and obscure glazed to minimise any overlooking.”
Addressing concerns over noise, she added that the proposed natural screening, by planting rows of trees and hedges, should minimise any impact.
She concluded: “It is considered that the proposal due to its lower height and reduction in levels of accommodation to be contained to two floors would have an acceptable relationship with existing residential properties to the north and south and more in keeping with the scale of these properties at two storey.
“While there would be some degree of impact on the amenity of these properties, it is not considered significant and thus the second refusal reason previously issued is overcome. On the basis of the above assessment, the proposal is considered to accord with Policy PD1.”
Recommending the application for approval, she points out the need for care home facilities in the district, and said the development would make a “significant contribution” towards this need.
District councillors will meet to discuss the plans on Tuesday, January 11 from 6pm in the council chamber of Matlock Town Hall.