Policy WES2: Land at the former Moorhurst Care Home, Westfield

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Object

Proposed Submission Development and Site Allocations (DaSA) Local Plan

Representation ID: 24171

Received: 06/12/2018

Respondent: Mr Roger Howells

Agent: Mr C Polito

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Representation Summary:

It is proposed to accommodate 40 dwellings for retirement living/sheltered housing and is the site of a former care home. It is at the north fringes of the settlement and not particularly well connected to existing services. The site adjoins the busy A28 and has no footpath connection. The footpath opposite is narrow and could be particularly hazardous and arduous for elderly resident. The site is relatively small and it is not clear how 40 dwellings could be accommodated on the site without appearing cramped especially with minimum amenity areas and existing mature boundary trees. The proposed housing tenure would not be well integrated into the community and would not provide a balanced mix of housing for the village. The NPPF says to create sustainable, inclusive and mixed communities local authorities should plan for a mix of housing based on current and future demographic trends, market trends and the needs for different groups of the community. Planning for 40 dwellings of a specified tenure out of an allocation of 89 seems to be at odds to providing inclusive and mixed communities. There are substantive concerns for the site's suitability in terms of housing numbers, tenure and isolated location.

Full text:

It is proposed to accommodate 40 dwellings and is the site of a former care home (the site having been cleared of all buildings). It is proposed to cater for a tenure of retirement living/sheltered housing. The site is at the north fringes of the settlement and not particularly well connected to existing services. The site adjoins the busy A28 and has no footpath connection on the north west side of the road. The footpath on the other side of the road is narrow and not conducive to pedestrian traffic into the village and could be particularly hazardous and arduous for elderly residents if the site were developed for retirement/sheltered housing. The site is relatively small and it is not clear how 40 dwellings could be accommodated on the site without appearing cramped especially as minimum amenity areas are proposed for each dwelling and site constraints of existing mature boundary trees (no development within root protection areas). The proposed housing tenure would also not be well integrated into the community and would not provide a balanced mix of housing for the village. The NPPF says to create sustainable, inclusive and mixed communities local authorities should plan for a mix of housing based on current and future demographic trends, market trends and the needs for different groups of the community. Planning for 40 dwellings of a specified tenure out of an allocation of 89 dwellings required for the village seems to be at odds to providing inclusive and mixed communities as advocated by the NPPF. Notwithstanding the LPA's promotion of the site, there appears to substantive concerns for the site's suitability in terms of housing numbers, tenure and isolated location to meet the housing needs of the village.