Care home approved despite parking concerns

Plans for '˜radically larger' care facility in Broadbridge Heath have been approved by councillors despite parking concerns.
Care facilities planned north of Old Guildford Road in Broadbridge Heath (photo from HDC's planning portal). SUS-160711-115754001Care facilities planned north of Old Guildford Road in Broadbridge Heath (photo from HDC's planning portal). SUS-160711-115754001
Care facilities planned north of Old Guildford Road in Broadbridge Heath (photo from HDC's planning portal). SUS-160711-115754001

A scheme for 165 homes and a 60-bed care home north of Old Guildford Road was rejected by Horsham District Council back in 2014, but this decision was overturned by a planning inspector back in 2015.

HDC’s Development Control North Committee approved an application for the 165 homes and allotments earlier this year, and a separate proposal for a 70-bed care home, eight extra care apartments, and three extra care bungalows was agreed by councillors on Tuesday November 1.

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Geoff Clark, speaking for Broadbridge Heath Parish Council, said: “The buildings are larger, overbearing and imposing, and are out of keeping in a rural environment.”

He raised concerns with road safety and the levels of parking, something echoed by Matthew French (Con, Broadbridge Heath) and Leonard Crosbie (LDem, Trafalgar), who called it a ‘radically larger’ scheme than originally put forward.

Mr Crosbie explained that when the Ford garage opened off the Farthings Hill roundabout there were issues with staff parking in Broadbridge Heath, with cars ‘lining the village from one end to the other’.

But officers explained that the number of spaces exceeded West Sussex County Council’s parking standards.

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But Mr Crosbie asked how they could calculate the spaces needed when they did not know how many staff would be employed at the care home.

A West Sussex County Council highways officer explained to the committee that for a care facility of this size their parking calculator would require 32 spaces, but 40 were being proposed.

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