Lillington care home denied planning permission

The plan included the demolition of the former doctor’s surgery next door to Our Lady’s church in Valley Road and the construction of the four-storey, 35-bedroom, Treharrock Care Home which would create 35 new jobs.

But Warwick District Council’s planning committee went against a planning officer’s recommendations this week and voted to reject permission, having raised concerns about a lack of suitable car parking spaces, the impact on the street scene and traffic in the road, a lack of amenity space for residents and problems with access to the site.

Speaking at the planning meeting on Tuesday, applicant Richard Noonan said: “A great deal of time has been spent on developing this scheme. This involved more than two years of pre-application discussions with the planning department and six months with Warwickshire County Council’s health and community services.

“The objectors’ main concerns are car parking and the scale of the building but after discussion with the planners it was decided that the neighbouring car park could provide some of the car parking provision. A survey did show this was hardly used during the week and only half full during church services at the weekend.

“The proposed scheme provides a new viable care home that is on an appropriate scale for the site.”

Ward councillor Alan Boad (Lib Dem, Leamington Crown), said he was not against homes for dementia sufferers but the development would be “in the wrong place and too big”.

Cllr Boad said: “It is our view there is inadequate provision to secure outside space for 35 residents, which is particularly important for dementia sufferers and their visitors.

“Moving on to parking, within the site there is a shared spot for ambulances and deliveries that will increase traffic going into the building but vehicles of that size cannot both enter and leave the site in forward gear so they would have to reverse either in or out onto a major feeder road.

“There was some question on the site visit about need but clearly within the planning regulations need is not a consideration. This is a commercial operation and would be quite a big operation for a residential area.”