Decision due on Broadbridge Heath retirement community plans

Legal & General Senior Living wants to develop on land at Wellcross Farm off the Five Oaks Road south of the Newbridge Nursery Garden Centre site.

The continuing care retirement community would consist of 141 accommodation units alongside facilities such as a restaurant, cafe, shop, hairdressers, spa and clinical consultation and treatment suite.

An outline application is due to be discussed by Horsham District Council’s planning committee north on Tuesday May 5.

Officers are recommending approval subject to conditions.

The site is north of the Wellcross Grange Care Home, a 41-bed nursing care unit and Kerwin Court, run by the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust.

Inspired Villages Group (IVG), which would run the community, describes itself as one of the leading operators in the UK for providing retirement properties for older people.

The application highlights IVG’s model of offering a selection of luxury apartments purpose built for senior living, providing an opportunity for socialising, relaxing and being active.

The scheme consists of a village centre building containing the administrative hub, recreational and leisure facilities, GP facility and several close care apartments.

More independent living would be provided in assisted living apartments set within the grounds, arranged in two-storey blocks that enclose shared landscape spaces.

Of the 141 units, there would be 48 close care apartments and 93 assisted living units.

Parish councils in Itchingfield, Slinfold and Broadbridge Heath have all raised concerns and 34 letters of objection from 22 separate addresses have been received.

Objectors suggest the area is already overdeveloped, while the site is not easily accessible by foot or public transport, with poor access to shops, services and community facilities meaning new residents will rely on cars.

Other concerns include the extra pressure on strained and oversubscribed health services, flooding, highway safety as the A264 is busy and the entrance is near a blind bend, the impact on the countryside and proximity to Slinfold’s privately owned aerodrome.

But according to council planning officers: “This development would help to meet the need for specialist accommodation within the district, and allow older people a greater degree of independence and flexibility in the way they live and chose to receive the care they need.”

Their report suggests the development itself would be ‘relatively unobtrusive in terms of its impact upon the wider community’ and felt the proposed scheme is ‘successful in avoiding a gated community’.

In terms of impact on health services, they noted 24-hour private nursing care would be provided to residents, while on highways the county council had confirmed access to the site would have acceptable visibility and not cause safety concerns for road users.

The current offer to the council is for 21 on-site affordable housing units, the equivalent of 15 per cent of the total development.

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.