Plans for 66 bedroom care home in Weeley are refused

LNT Care Developments had submitted plans to Tendring Council to build the new two-storey home in Clacton Road, Weeley. 

The home would have been used by elderly residents and dementia patients.

According to the plans, the site of 2.04 acres was chosen after comparing census data and existing care home data and wanted to create a home occupied and staffed by local people. 

The care home was to include a main lounge/dining room, cafe, quiet lounge, family and garden rooms, as well as a cinema, shop and hair studio. 

Residents of Clacton Road voiced their concerns about the size of the development, stating it is out of character for the area. 

A comment said: “This part of Clacton Road is characterised by smaller domestic scale development sat within good sized plots.

"The proposal is overly dominant with a long, continuous built frontage, which fills the site.” 

Further comments added that the plans did not include enough parking spaces and were 40 spaces short of complying with Essex Parking Standards, which would lead to increased traffic and vehicles parking on the street. 

Planners refused the application, stating it is way too large for its surroundings and disturbs the character of the village. 

“The proposed building, however, is of a much larger scale and massing than that existing on-site and within the immediate surrounds and also has excessive width and depth that is entirely out of keeping," a report said.

“The combination of this, along with the significant levels of hardstanding to the front of the site to accommodate the necessary parking provision and access, is the development would appear as an overly domineering feature within the street scene.” 

It was added that “the potential of on-street parking to the serious detriment of highway safety, contrary to the above local and national planning policies” and the development did not implement actions to prevent harming protected species.