Plans for new West Sussex care home ‘reluctantly’ approved
It is at a former poultry farm in Middleton-on-Sea
Councillors have ‘reluctantly’ agreed plans for a 66-bedroom care home at a former poultry farm in Middleton-on-Sea.
The application for the site in Yapton Road was given the nod by Arun District Council during a meeting on Wednesday (2 December) having been refused in February.
The only difference to the plans this time was that the roof line was 1.6m lower than before and a basement had been added, which would house the laundry, plant room, staff training area and kitchen facilities.
With planning officers happy that February’s concerns had been addressed, some of the committee felt the council would be ‘on a hiding to nothing’ if they refused the plans again.
Developer Frontier Estates has already appealed the first decision and the committee was warned the planning inspectorate might see a second refusal as ‘unreasonable behaviour’.
Martin Lury (Lib Dem, Bersted) said:
"If we end up at appeal on this we’re just going to lose.
"Emotionally, I’d love to turn it down.
"Emotionally, there are lots of reasons to turn this down.
"In terms of what we refused it on last time, I think we’re on very dodgy ground turning it down this time, I’m sad to say."
The plans were approved by nine votes to six – a decision that is unlikely to sit well with people in Middleton-on Sea.
The council received more than 130 objections and several members of the public spoke passionately at the meeting about their concerns.
Jacky Pendleton (Con, Middleton-on-Sea) said the density of the development would ‘completely compromise’ the feel of the area.
Questioning its size, the risk of flooding and the number of parking spaces proposed, she described the whole thing as ‘totally unsuitable’.
The site will be accessed from Silver Birch Drive.