New 78-bed care home in East Grinstead gets the go-ahead
Plans to build a 78-bed care home in East Grinstead have been approved by Mid Sussex District Council.
The application from Igloo Care Ltd and EQ Care East Grinstead Ltd, for a site in West Hill, was given the nod by the planning committee on Thursday (January 22).
This was the second time a care home had been approved for the site. An 85-bed home was approved in June 2023 but later refused because the required Section 106 legal agreement between the council and a different developer was not completed.
This latest application will see a home called Highfields demolished and the care home and a seven-bed additional care unit built in its place. The will be 14 parking spaces.
A new junction from the site onto West Hill will be built, while the current access will stay open for pedestrians and cyclists only.
The council received 26 letters objecting to the plans, with concerns raised including fears that the new access would be dangerous, increased traffic levels on West Hill, potential damage to the trees on the site, and the scale of the development being out of proportion with the site and out of character with the area.
Adam Peacock (Con, East Grinstead Ashplats) shared the concerns about traffic on West Hill. While disappointed, he pointed out that the principle to develop the site had already been set, and there was a need for the services offered by the care home.
The application was approved unanimously. To view it in full, log on to pa.midsussex.gov.uk and search for DM/24/3051.