GP’s fears sees new care village plan rejected
Surgery already under too much pressure
Plans to construct a new “care village” in the countryside have been turned down, after the local GP surgery said it could not cope with the potential influx of patients.
Dr Will Mangar, principal partner at the Sutton Valence Group Practice, said in a written statement read to Maidstone council’s planning committee, his surgery was already under serious pressure and had been forced to close its books to new patients. It already has one large care home in its area and another is being built now in nearby Langley.
Dr Mangar said there was a
recruitment crisis and it was proving impossible to find new doctors, and therefore he feared his practice woud be unable to provde safe care to residents of the “care village.”
The council was considering a proposal from Cloverdown Ltd to build an 87-bed care home and 12 assisted living apartments in the grounds of Forsham House, off Forsham Lane, in Sutton Valence. Council officers acknowledged that there was a need for more care places in the borough, but nevertheless recommended refusal, saying that the chosen site was in an unsustainable location, outside the limits of built development of Suttton Valence, and because of its size would have an adverse impact on the countryside and in views from the neaby Greensand Ridge.
The applicants had submitted research showing that by 2031 Maidstone would have a shortfall of 348 standard care
home spaces and 782 care beds with wet-room facilities – despite new homes being built currently.
Abheay Singh, speaking for the applicants, argued that the council was not paying enough attention to the over-riding need for extra care home places, and said that over two years of meticulous preparation the firm had “ticked all the boxes.”
He said they even guaranteed
to undertake a legal commitment to provide a GP specifically for the site, and the prosposal included a GP consulting room.
Cllr Wendy Young (Con) gave scant regard to that promise, saying: “GPs are extremely hard to come by.”
She said the fundamental objection was that the proposal was in the open countryside and would “totally dominate in a very beautiful area.”
Cllr Clive English (Lib Dem) agreed, and added: “No-one is questioning that there is a need for more care places – but that doesn’t mean that one has to accept just any proposal that comes forward.”
The application was rejected unanimously.
Details of what had been proposed can be found on the Maidstone council website.
Search for application number 23/5000230.