Decision details

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mrs. J. Revell addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the proposals, and Mr. A. Dennison spoke in favour of the application.

Consideration was given to the application which had been recommended for refusal by the Head of Planning and Environment Services.  On the matter being put to the vote, Members considered that -

§         there was an on-going need in the Bromsgrove area for new and enlarged nursing home facilities as a result of the aging population, with no available nursing home bed-spaces in the local area;

§         the proposal would enable the Foresters Nursing Home to meet the minimum standards set by the Commission for Social Care Inspection;

§         the continued existence of the nursing home would be secured given the on-site staff accommodation, thereby providing an adequate and reliable source of nursing staff;

§         the proposal would have limited harm to the streetscene due to the current boundary treatment;

§         no adverse impact on residential amenity would occur due to the location of the proposal;

§         the proposal would facilitate the removal of the caravan currently used for staff accommodation; and

§         the proposal would comply with Paragraph EC12 of PPS4.

Members were of the opinion that these points constituted very special circumstances which outweighed the harm that would be caused to the openness of the Green Belt and the purposes of including land within the Green Belt, and other harm, and that planning permission should be granted.

RESOLVED:

(a)       that the application be referred to the Government Office for the West Midlands under the "departure" procedure; and

(b)       that, in the event that the application is not "called-in" by the Government Office for the West Midlands, permission be granted subject to any reasonable conditions and notes considered necessary by the Head of Planning and Environment Services, to specifically include appropriately-worded conditions attached to the Decision Notice to:

(i)         secure the removal of the existing staff accommodation caravan; and

(ii)        ensure the retention of boundary treatments.