Proposals to reduce a former care home to rubble and build a new facility next to the A1(M) have been approved - despite concerns over traffic and that building work has already taken place before planning permission was sought.
Plans to develop the former Morris Grange Nursing Home in Middleton Tyas, near Richmond, were granted permission by the Richmond Planning Committee on Thursday (October 10).
Under the application, the old care facility, which had room for 71 residents, will be demolished and replaced with a new building, named White Oaks, which will include a 36-bed facility, a building with 13 apartments, a kitchen, a laundry room and a café.
Morris Grange Nursing Home has been vacant for eight years after the company behind it went into administration in 2016, before the applicants bought the site in 2019 and, under the new plans, it will be resurrected and house people with care needs.
Previous attempts to try and redevelop the site were made in 2020 when proposals for a 50-bed care home were put in - but these were amended in May this year to form the current application.
It's expected that 36 staff would be employed through the building of the new White Oaks site.
During the consultation process for the care home application, several objections were received, which highlighted concerns about parking, which would see only 16 car park spaces created, even though 10 of the spaces would be used by staff.
Other concerns with the application included traffic worries and an increase in cars, the impact on neighbours, and the fact that trees would be felled during the demolition of the Morris Grange Nursing Home.
John Gentry, the parish clerk at Moulton Parish Meeting, spoke against the application on Thursday - saying that he and villagers are against the development.
"As chairman of Moulton - I have supported residents over the last four and a half years, and dealing with the work that's already been carried out before this committee.
"Residents in the community lived comfortably alongside the former care home - but now have concerns about the issues with apartments.
"This application looks to turn a once successful care home into a future retirement village.
"What steps will the planning authority take to ensure conditions are met?"
Later in the meeting, a letter by North Richmondshire ward councillor, Angus Thompson, was read out - where he highlighted that further information was needed and called for a deferral of the application.
He said: "My constituents are supportive of the redevelopment of the site after years of neglect.
"No one would want to live with a derelict care home 20 metres from their homes. However, plans before the committee this morning leave me wondering what the plans are.
"I think the committee needs clarification from the applicant about the apartments before the application can be determined."
Cllr Thompson also cited the road leading to the care facility, which is single track and would lead to an increase in traffic, which would impact villagers and businesses on the stretch of road.
But councillors ruled out a deferral due to the application "dragging on", and backed the development - saying that the new care home meets a need for the area and will employ people in the local community.
However, the committee did criticise the applicants for undertaking development on the site before planning permission was gained.
The approval comes with a section 106 agreement, which seeks to provide passing places on the single-track access road in and out of the care home.
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