Go-ahead for 100-bed care home despite objections from Wisbech residents

Plans for a 100 bed care home have been given the go-ahead despite strong objection for neighbouring property owners.

Councillors gave approval for the three storey care home facility, together with five homes, on land south of Chrysanthemum House in Barton Road, Wisbech, at their recent Fenland District Council meeting.

The green-light came with the proviso that the applicant, James Punton, completes a Section 106 agreement relating to occupation of the facility and also pays £1,000 towards the public consultation required for the traffic management, including a speed reduction, associated with the scheme.

Mr Punton has three months to complete the agreement or face losing the planning permission.

An officers report to the the June planning meeting explained the application was before the committee because of the large amount of opposition to the plans. It also explained the five houses associated with the care home plan were needed to help with “the significant development costs of the care home and to ease cash flow in the early stages of development”.

Local residents had raised a raft of concerns about the impact the care home would have on their properties and the area in general. However, the officers' report said: "Whilst the and character of the area may change as a result of the proposal such change is not considered so significant as to render the scheme unacceptable."

Neighbours were also worried about possible anti-social behaviour and crime as a result of the plans, particularly the installation of a new footpath, which would give access to the rear of their properties.

Mr Punton's agent, Nigel Lowe, pointed out the need for such a facility. He said: "It is clear from the initial submission and analysis of the census data that there is a significant unmet need for this form of development within Wisbech - it is noted that this analysis only covered the urban wards of Wisbech, and clearly, as the catchment for this facility would run much wider than this the need will be significantly more that as set out

"The care home will have an on-site 24 hour manager as well as an appropriate level of staffing to meet the care, medical and security needs of the residents - additional facilities such as hairdressers, chiropodists etc will be provided on site as part of the care packages - as will catering and laundry services. Additional services will be bought in by the care home management from local suppliers as needs dictate."

The officers' report pointed out that while the application has come ahead of a broad concept plan for the area, the fact it would provide "housing opportunities and job creation” carried considerable weight in proposing the application be approved.

Officers were also annoyed that an orchard had been cleared ahead of the application and the implications that had on wildlife. Describing the move as "regrettable".

However, they were satisfied that conditions contained in an ecology report would ensure the scheme delivers "appropriate mitigation and enhancements in this respect going forward”