Care home proposal ‘too large’ for former school site

The scale of a proposed care home in Spalding is too big for the site, according to council officers.

They say the former Goodfellows School plot in Spalding Common is not suitable for Country Court Care Ltd’s plan for a two and three-storey building with 61 bedrooms.
South Holland District Council’s planning committee will consider the application on Wednesday. It is recommended for refusal.

A report to the meeting says: “The authority is not against the principle of a care home so long as it would be of an appropriate scale. The council does not deny that there is a need for care home facilities within Spalding.

“The proposal will, however, have a significant adverse impact on the character and appearance of the surrounding area by way of its layout, scale, form and design. The proposal is too large for the site and would result in its overdevelopment.

“The proposal will result in the loss of protected trees, and the proposal will not provide outdoor amenity space of sufficient quality or quantity for future occupants.

“The benefits of the scheme proposed are therefore not considered sufficient to outweigh its impact. If such a large scale is required to be economically viable, then a more appropriate site should be sought.”