Plans for 76 bed care home in Lutterworth turned down by council

Plans to build a 76 bed care home and an additional 22 supported living homes in Lutterworth have been refused by the council.

The decision comes over damage the scheme would do to the countryside.

Officials at Harborough District Council have turned down the joint venture planned by Aspexan Ltd and the Avery Healthcare Group to build a large care home and supporting buildings on land next to Brookfield Way, in Bitteswell Road, Lutterworth. The application was first put forward in November 2021.

But after a long scrutiny process, members of the district council’s planning committee turned it down at a meeting last Tuesday (February 28). It cited potential harm to the area’s landscape as to why it was rejected, as well as failing to address potential climate change issues.

The proposed scheme sought to build a large care home which would provide constant care to people with multiple needs, including people with dementia. Some 10 one bedroom ‘specialist supported living flats’ were also planned, as well as 12 one bedroom bungalows which would be accompanied by 24 hour care on-site.

But the council’s planning officials didn’t think the new care centre would be suitable and said it would cause too much harm to the character and appearance of the area. They also say the proposal did not align with the area’s Local Plan and it would have affected the ‘historical separation’ of Lutterworth and neighbouring village of Bitteswell.

The application was further criticised for failing to show that it had ‘safe and suitable’ access and how the local roads would be impacted, particularly at the junction with Bitteswell Road and Brookfield. The council said that it would lead to an ‘unacceptable impact on highway safety’.

Following the committee’s decision, the applicant can make an appeal to the Secretary of State within the next six months.

A similar application to build a 64 bed care home and 20 assisted living bungalows was also turned down in December 2020 by the committee.