Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

Erection of a 73-bed care home (within Class C2), parking, access, landscaping and other associated works

RESOLVED: That application 20/03018/FP be GRANTED planning permission subject to the conditions and reasons set out in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager.

Audio Recording – 1 hour 36 minutes.

The Senior Planning Officer presented the report in respect of application 20/03018/FP supported by a visual presentation consisting of photographs and plans.

The Chair invited Ms Laura Grimason to address the Committee.

Ms Laura Grimason thanked the Chair for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a presentation including:

·                She was acting as agent for the applicant and speaking in support of the application;

·                The property would be owned by Frontier Estates and managed by Quantum Care delivering care home services to residents;

·                Quantum Care was based in Hertfordshire and run on a not-for-profit basis, worked with Herts County Council, and operated a home in Royston;

·                The new home would reflect the needs of the community and deliver services to cater for a mixture of residents with differing needs;

·                There would be accommodation for residents in need of 24hr specialist support in addition to medical services;

·                Some residents would be unable to leave the site unaccompanied;

·                The site had been subject to two applications recently, the first of which was rejected by the Council but approved at appeal, and the second of which was an amended scheme at a reduced scale;

·                This application would provide 73 beds in buildings over two storeys, minimising the difference between the care home and future neighbouring homes;

·                The development provided an innovative approach to levels and gave residents direct access to gardens from each floor;

·                The development provided benefits including the provision of care beds to meet a local shortfall and wider benefits to the health and wellbeing of the community, allowing residents to access care in their home towns where proximity to their families was important;

·                The pandemic had demonstrated the importance of purpose built care homes;

·                Royston had no care home beds with en suite provision which this development would provide;

·                En suite provision was a minimum standard and essential for infection control;

·                The care home would provide a short term economic benefit due to construction and a longer term benefit in the provision of 53 full time jobs in the home;

·                The site was considered appropriate and sustainable for development in ecological term and the development complemented the character of the area with additional landscaping and biodiversity enhancements.

The following Members asked questions:

·                Councillor David Levett

In response to questions Laura Grimason advised the applicant had not yet decided which of the two development proposals would be progressed if both were granted planning permission.

The following Members asked questions and took part in the debate:

·                Councillor Tony Hunter

·                Councillor Ian Mantle

Councillor Tony Hunter proposed, Councillor Ian Mantle seconded and on the vote it was:

RESOLVED: That application 20/03018/FP be GRANTED planning permission subject to the conditions and reasons set out in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager.