Controversial plans to build a care home on Handforth Road will now be determined by the Planning Inspectorate at appeal.
Altrincham based Newcare Project LLP applied in March to demolish two four bedroomed detached houses at 51 to 53 Handforth Road in Wilmslow and replace them with an 83 bedroomed three-storey care home. The scheme includes 24 car parking spaces and eight covered cycle parking spaces.
The planning application was originally scheduled to be considered by the planning committee in May but was then postponed until their June meeting, then the July one.
The applicants have now appealed on the grounds of 'non-determination' of the application because the local authority has not issue a decision within the time-frame.
A Cheshire East Council spokesperson said: "It is unfortunate the applicants have chosen to take this path as this could delay the determination of this application even further.
"As previously stated, the application was submitted in March and, while the council always seeks to determine applications as soon as possible, a number of factors have emerged with this particular case and additional information required by the council has led to a delay.
"It will now be up to a planning inspector to fix a date for hearing this application, which is for the demolition of two houses to be replaced with a 83-bed care home, car parking with access and landscaping."
It is proposed that the care home would employ 50 full-time and 40 part-time members of staff.
The plans can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website by searching for planning reference 18/1025M.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
I am confused as to why someone would want to go to the expense of demolishing two houses in a residential area, when there is a purpose built building lying empty less than one mile away, Cypress House, in Handforth, has been lying empty for a number of years, presumably, due to a lack of demand.
Another major concern, is parking. 24 spaces for an 83 bed home with 90 members of staff and visitors, will cause mayhem to the area, in particular Handforth Road, one car parking on the road causes problems. I dread to think of the parking problems this home will cause to the surrounding area. There is also a potential safety problem. There are two schools in the immediate vicinity of this proposed home, there will be many school children crossing what could be a busy entrance, unsighted, due to parked vehicles.
Nursing home residents will often require medical attention and possibly emergency attention, unfortunately that attention will not always be in office hours. Emergency vehicles will be required during the night, causing a disturbance to the people living in this residential area.
This home is not required in Handforth, let alone in a residential area. There is one home lying empty and Jones Homes are building a 150 bed place, less than 1000 yards away. I sincerely hope the planning department reject this proposal.
Newcare Project LLP are using dirty tactics and have done from the start to railroad this massive development through.
In future the CE Planning Officers (who actually work for a private company called Civicance) will decide if your comments can be put up or not. They have also removed all historical comments and binned them because they wont spend the time checking them.
Civicance also make money from advising developers on how to get planning permission. Therefore, these officers make money from developers but nothing from the communities who object.
These officers also now have total control over the whole process with zero scrutiny from CE. And we all know what total power does...But no one at Cheshire East sees this as a potential problem. Their attitude is just tell us how to vote in the planning meetings and we will blindly follow you.
It's a scandal waiting to happen.
So just remember this come next May when the Conservative councillors tell you all this new development in Wilmslow is beyond their control and has nothing to do with them.
I don't know weather to laugh or cry
To suggest the parking provided on this site is adequate, or that, there will be 15 or worse still 13 staff looking after residents in 83 rooms over three floors, is ludicrous and a recipe for disaster. How many of the rooms will have more than one resident. How many residents will have cars. How many catering staff will be on duty at any time. How many cleaners, how many doctors, How many porters, office or ancillary staff, will be required. How many visitors will be visiting at any one time. If you look at the planning requirements for parking, you will see, the number of spaces on this over development is inadequate. In addition to parking for cars, they will need to provide a space for an ambulance. Furthermore, there should be sufficient space for an HGV lorry to enter and leave the site in a forward direction. This development fails to comply with these requirements.
What really concerns me is how the staff, no matter how many, would deal with an emergency. How could they evacuate all the residents in a three storey home with no elevators in the event of an emergency.
This place is a disaster waiting to happen and should be denied planning permission for a multitude of reasons.
-building regulations applications
-demolition notices
-dangerous structures
-drainage issues
The CEC planners are employed by CEC not Civicance and examine planning application against a full raft of policies. Officer recommendations that go to Committee are debated at length and sometimes overturned by elected members. Applicants then quite often appeal and the Planning Inspectorate has the final say. The CEC planning service is subject to examination and review by the elected members on the Overview & Scrutiny Committee.
It’s reassuring to know that the CEC planning service is subject to examination and review by the elected members on the Overview & Scrutiny Committee.
Rather than assuming anything, can you enlighten the readers as to how this committee is dealing with the numerous administrative errors that the CEC planning department has made recently with regards to failing to follow procedure.
https://bit.ly/2lWCt4y
https://bit.ly/2NxZRlA
The calendar of meetings is available for the financial year; O&S meetings are open to residents; audio recordings are available on-line; minutes of meetings are published on the website.
With those sources available, surely you will be able to find the answers to your questions.
The problem with the delay of the planning appeal for Mobberley riding stables was stated as being the result of a Civicance error. Yet they don't have anything to do with planning - they only handle building control etc.?
As there are four separate Overview and Scrutiny Committees can you please confirm which one is responsible for monitoring the Work of the Planning Officers. I assume it's the Environment and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee.