A 60-bed care home is recommended for approval in a York suburb, despite its Green Belt Location.
Yorkare Homes seeks to demolish the existing but empty Lime Trees Public Medical Centre for the development at 31 Shipton Road, Clifton.
Their application would also see the gifting of land to York Sports Club for the creation of new sports pitches.
The scheme, if approved, would involve the demolition of the existing building, which has been empty for two years.
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The proposed 60-bed care home would have 40 rooms on the first and second floors providing dementia care and 20 rooms on the ground floor used for residential care.
The building would also contain communal areas, lounges and dining spaces, kitchens, staff areas, laundry room and assisted bathrooms; plus on-site hairdressers and cinema room.
The care home would employ 75 staff at full capacity, staffed at all times, with around 22 staff per shift.
The land to be gifted to York Sports Club would be for Rugby Union use, aiming to relieve existing pressures on the main sports (rugby and cricket) pitches, rather than aim to increase use.
A report prepared for next Thursday’s (Feb 8) meeting of City of York Planning Committee says the application has been revised to address impacts upon protected trees, drainage, car parking and access.
The report says Clifton (Without) Parish Council had no objection in principle but wanted the site to keep as much wild character as possible.
Clifton Planning Panel welcomed the development being sited well away from the main road and the gifting of land but had concerns over trees and parking.
Similarly, four letters of objection had concerns over trees being removed and whether there was enough parking.
Seven letters of support welcomed the re-use of a brownfield site, the provision of dementia care services and the sporting benefits of the pitches to the club and the area.
The council report said the scheme was in the Green Belt and would be considered inappropriate development unless there were Very Special Circumstances for it.
The applicant said there was such circumstances the scheme would meet an unmet need for care home facilities and sports pitches across the city.
The council planners concluded that the use of part of the site for the sports pitches was not inappropriate but the building fails to preserve the openness of the Green Belt.
However, the scheme would deliver significant benefits in providing residential care and meeting an identified need for such care in a sustainable location, with access to public transport.
Providing sports pitches to alleviate existing pressures on main sports pitches was another benefit. Other matters considered to be acceptable include design, highway and parking, ecology, residential amenity drainage and flood risk.
Therefore, approval was recommended, with the Secretary of State making the final decisions as it is a large scheme in a Green Belt Location, the planners concluded.
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