A housing association has confirmed it will continue appealing against a decision to refuse its plans for a huge extra care development in Bedale, despite having lodged a revised planning application for the scheme.
Broadacres Housing Association is expecting Hambleton District Council to reconsider its plans for the housing scheme to support scores of older people to live independently in their own homes within the next 13 weeks.
However, it is unclear when the authority’s planning committee, which rejected similar plans for the proposed development off Queen Anne’s Drive featuring 15 one-bedroom, 36 two-bedroom and eight studio apartments, residents lounges, a meeting room, public café, hair salon and numerous other rooms earlier this year, will be able to consider the application.
While many local authorities are hoping to resume key council meetings in the coming weeks by staging them online, there is uncertainty over how meetings that involve direct community involvement, such as planning meetings, can be held.
There are concerns that if planning decisions are made in an environment that does not allow the full and proper democratic process then challenges could be successful.
The housing association has stated it is exercising its right to make a further planning application within a 12-month period as it has provided “further supporting evidence”.
Rejecting the original plan after a numerous residents objected to it, councillors likened it to a prison block, raised concerns over road safety and said it was too large for the site.
While the latest application still features a two and three-storey building, Broadacres said it had addressed the reasons the scheme was refused, including claims that there were alternative places in Bedale for the facility.
The application documents detail how the £12m development will use different levels to “hunker down” within the site and state the extra care building would respect, interact with and complement the surrounding area.
It states: “The design of the scheme will result in a development that will respond positively to the character of the surrounding area and one which will preserve and enhance Bedale.”
In March, North Yorkshire County Council approved funding for the scheme after having identified an urgent need for an extra care housing scheme in Bedale.
Hambleton District Council’s planning committee has previously heard Bedale is the only market town in the district without such a development offering homes with access to on-site care and support services.
In its latest application, Broadacres have underlined the demand for the extra care homes, citing projections showing the number of people aged over 65 growing from 26 per cent to 35 per cent by 2043.
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