New 72-bedroom care home planned in Peterborough refused

Plans for a new care home at the Werrington centre, composing of 72 bedrooms, have been refused.

County Court Care Ltd, which also runs the Castor Lodge Care Home, submitted plans to redevelop the area immediately to the south of its head offices at Olympus House on Staniland Way in January.

The development would have provided a 72-bedroom care home as well as an eight-unit apartment block contained within two buildings and spread over three floors.

The care home would have includes a lobby, reception, cafe, meeting room, medicine stores, nursing stations and day space on the ground floor.

Drawings also show that the first floor would also offer an open ‘winter garden’ area with the second floor accommodating a plant room, laundry room, main kitchen and a staff room.

The proposed apartments would be contained within a single block, containing four apartments on each floor, all containing a double bedroom, bathroom, hallway, store and the main living, kitchen and dining area as a single open space.

Planning officers, however, have rejected the proposals due to a number of concerns, which include 44 proposed spaces being an inadequate, concerns about unacceptable noise levels from the amount of mechanical ventilation required, insignificant justification for the loss of trees and green infrastructure and the fact that no provision was made for a replacement bus stop.

Officers also raised serious concerns about the living conditions on offer in the care home.

The decision notice stated: “The proposed development, by virtue of its design, size and massing, would result in unacceptable harm to the character, appearance and visual amenity of the area.

"This unacceptably adverse harm would be exacerbated through the unjustified loss of non-designated open space and mature landscaping.

“Insufficient information has been provided to demonstrate that future occupiers would be provided with satisfactory living conditions and protection from external noise sources.

"It has not been demonstrated that future occupiers would be provided with satisfactory private or semi-private outdoor amenity space in which their day-to-day living needs could be met.

"In addition, public open space is not located in a sufficiently close proximity for this deficiency to be mitigated.”

The full decision notice can be viewed on Peterborough City Council’s planning portal using reference 23/01733/FUL.