Plans to build 68-bed care home in Northamptonshire village met with 'overdevelopment' objections

An planning application for a 68-bed care home and 17 extra care units in Long Buckby has been submitted to West Northamptonshire Council (WNC). To date, nearly 30 members of the public have objected to the proposals, which were submitted in December 2022.

If approved, the care facility would be built on land under Bakers Lane, with the old person’s care home situated on the east of the site and the one-bed care bungalows separated to the west.

The two-and-a-half-storey care home will also include a café and bar, communal lounge and a dining area. Applicant Just Pubs Ltd confirmed that the private care units would consist of 10 assisted living apartments and seven care bungalows.

Planning documents lay out the intention to use the assisted living units for children between the ages of five and 18 with learning difficulties. Each apartment would house one child who would receive 24-hour one-to-one care from specialist staff.

Residents have criticised the proposals over a lack of parking in the facility, the introduction of care units for children to the plans and the proximity of the development to neighbouring homes.

One person said: “My main objections relate to complete lack of parking for a site of such size. There are already significant issues with regards to parking on Bakers Lane and these would be compounded by users and most likely workers at the development parking on the estate.

“I cannot see how there is enough capacity to support workers, residents and relatives visiting. By the nature of its size in the plans this is completely not in keeping with not only the estate, but in fact any village of this size.”

The plans offer 27 parking bays for the 68-bed care home and a further 19 spaces for the care units. Just Pubs Ltd has confirmed that the site would create 80 full-time equivalent jobs in total, with a maximum of 37 staff on-site at any one time.

Another frustrated neighbour wrote: “The scale of the main care home building is out of keeping with the neighbouring residential properties and its position within the site is far too close (given its scale) to the neighbouring residential properties’ boundary.

“The proposal has echoes of the construction of a warehouse adjacent to residential properties. It seeks to overdevelop the site, given its village location. A more centrally located main care home or development consisting entirely of bungalows and apartments would surely be more in keeping with the residential setting.”

The current submission mirrors a previous outline application in the same site for a 72-bed care home and 17 extra care units, which was approved on appeal but never delivered.

Just Pubs Ltd has acknowledged that there were no houses to the east of the site when previous permission was granted, but argued that sufficient space still exists to ensure that there are no impacts on privacy and amenities on the neighbouring properties.

While the application has not received any supportive comments so far, many responses did agree that a care facility for the elderly in the village was needed.

WNC has listed the target decision date as the end of November.