Plans to demolish a care home, located in a largely residential area, and replace it with a block of apartments have been refused.
Today (Wednesday, 14th March) members of the Northern Planning Committee voted unanimiously against Jones Homes' application to demolish the two-storey Hillside Residential Home on Adlington Road and erect of a new 3-storey building containing 14 apartments - comprising of thirteen 2 bedroom and one 3 bedroom apartment.
The proposal included widening the existing access and the provision of 28 parking spaces and a cycle store on the ground floor of the new building.
Wilmslow Town Council recommended refusal of this application on the grounds of traffic safety with increased traffic on the dangerous bend. Additionally, they stated "The proposed building is overbearing on neighbouring properties and out-of-character being overdevelopment in an otherwise low density residential area. The Town Council believe that the proposals contravene the Supplementary Planning Guidance for Wilmslow Park within which they consider this property to be located."
Amended plans were received during the application period. Forty-two objections were received prior to the amendments with a further 13 objections received afterwards.
The main issues raised were: out of character with the road; highway safety issues due to location on a bend; insufficient parking spaces; loss of care home would lead to bed blocking in hospitals; the three stories will be overbearing to neighbouring properties; protected trees would have to be removed; loss of employment from the care home closure and loss of privacy and daylight to surrounding properties.
The Planning Officer recommended that the Northern Planning Committee refuse the planning application, reference 16/6225M, on the grounds that "The proposal represents an overdevelopment of the site and is out of scale with the surrounding built environment. Whilst the quality of design has improved, it does not reflect the local character and detailing that is found in the neighbouring properties.
"The loss of the protected Beech tree and the potential future pressures on the remaining protected trees due to the proximity of the proposed building is contrary to policy SE5 of the Cheshire East Local Plan and saved policy DC9 of the Macclesfield Borough Local Plan.
"The relationship of the proposed building to the adjoining property at Lindfield would lead to an unacceptable impact in terms of loss of light and a loss of privacy due to the increase in mass and overlooking windows overlooking this property."
Members of the Northern Planning Committee also raised concerns regarding the lack of provision for visitor parking on the site.
Comments
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The application was made by Jones Homes so, presumably, Jones Homes have already entered into an unconditional agreement to acquire the site.
The rejection means we have an operator who wants to sell and a landlord who does not want a nursing home as a tenant- an impossible position in the medium term.
What I am sure will happen - because I can see no other option - is an amended application for a marginally less dense apartment development.
It is inconceivable that there is an investor out there who wants a 19 resident nursing home. No one could make such an operation pay unless they paid a rock bottom price - and why would Jones Homes accept such a price when they hold all the “cards”.
The reality is that a residential development will happen. It will have reduced density - and probably will not include a 3rd storey, which it should not.
But the rate payers have to meet the cost of the posturing before what was probably inevitable gets the go ahead.
We have to get to the point where the financial penalties make it uneconomic to make outrageous “first attempts” as a negotiating tool.