Planners slam proposed Cumbria care home

A proposed care home in Flookburgh, near Grange-over-Sands, is set to be refused by South Lakeland Council after planners criticised the “over-intensive development” on a site allocated for housing.

The proposals by Bowsall and Housing & Care 21 are for a 61-apartment extra care scheme in the centre of Flookburgh, on a site allocated for housing under South Lakeland’s local plan.

The three-storey proposal also includes communal areas and facilities, including a dining room and a hair salon, and the apartments are split between affordable rent and shared ownership use.

However, the proposals have come in for heavy criticism by council planners ahead of a meeting next week, with the care home recommended for refusal by South Lakeland’s planning committee.

Objections to the project have also come from the local parish council and Cumbria County Council’s highways team, which argued the site’s access via a new junction would impact existing properties, with no measures proposed to manage parking along the neighbouring Manorside road.

The highways team also said parking at the site was “inadequate” with only 21 spaces proposed, given the area is served only by “infrequent” public transport.

The project also received 79 letters of objection from local residents.

While South Lakeland Council said the project provides “over and above” the number of affordable homes required under its local plan, planners said the proposed development would prevent further housing being delivered on the land.

In their report to committee, planners concluded: “The overall scale, form, and mass… comprises an over intensive development of the site that would result in localised visual harm and would detract from the character of this area of Flookburgh.”

The report continued: In overall terms, it must be accepted that affordable extra care housing development by virtue of its nature necessitates delivery in larger buildings and this invariably will result in additional landscape, visual and settlement character impacts beyond what would result from the delivery of conventional housing; however, this does not automatically weigh in favour of approval of any such proposal.

Planners concluded the scheme would result in “a level of harm that outweighs the identified benefits of the development as proposals, warranting refusal of the development.”

South Lakeland’s planning committee is due to determine the application on 28 June. The professional team includes JDA as architect and Mosaic Town Planning.

Your Comments

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Poor design is a reason for refusal alone and this is a poor design. It lacks hierarchy and the proportions of form are incongruous. Adding a blue entrance doesn’t help. It’s like putting lipstick on a dog. It detracts, not adds.

By Vicar in a Tutu

Seen worse approved.

By Nige

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