Care home plans prompt road safety concerns

Plans for a residential care home between Itchingfield and Slinfold have been opposed by residents due to road safety concerns.
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Pathway Healthcare is looking to use Upper Totehill Cottage off Five Oaks Road to provide services for adults with profound and multiple learning difficulties.

The company’s application for a change of use and several alterations to the existing building was approved by Horsham District Council’s Planning Committee North earlier this month.

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However residents raised concerns about both the safety of residents so near a ‘fast flowing’ road and vehicles turning in and out of the site.

Anna de Salis called the site an ‘unsustainable location’, while Mark de Salis described how the proposed new care home would be metres from the ‘fast, unlit and dangerous’ A264.

Fellow objector Debbie Cassar argued the site was ‘completely unsuitable for the identified clientele’ in such a rural location, but Brett Moore, agent for the scheme, described a ‘clear and urgent need for the services in the area’.

He added: “My client already has a strong working relationship and partnership with West Sussex County Council and has previously established a number of high quality successful residential care homes for adult with learning disabilities at various locations across the county.”

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Tricia Youtan (Con, Itchingfield, Slinfold and Warnham) agreed that there was a real need for this type of accommodation, but expressed ‘great sympathy’ with the residents’ objections.

Both she and fellow local member Stuart Ritchie asked about security boundary measures to protect care home residents’ safety so near a busy road.

Officers explained that part of the site was previously used as a nursery, which would have been able to generate more vehicle trips than the proposed care home use.

Meanwhile staff would be present on site 24 hours a day, while the applicant had a duty of care that went beyond the application.

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Chris Lyons, director for planning, economic development, and property, explained how the council could not demand boundary treatments but could control what these looked like.

He added: “It’s not for the planning system to design a scheme that makes it safe for residents, it’s up to the applicant to make sure the application is safe for residents.”

Leonard Crosbie (LDem, Trafalgar) described this type of unit as a ‘god send’, while Godfrey Newman (LDem, Forest) gave his ‘begrudging’ support given the site’s isolated location.

Claire Vickers (Con, Southwater), cabinet member for planning and development, had ‘no doubts’ about the need for the proposed care home, adding: “They [the applicant] would have a duty of care to protect these residents and bearing in mind that nursery school generated a huge amount of activity with over 100 movements on some days and lots of children coming and going I can see no reason to refuse this application.”

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