Nursing home company objects to care facility on Bridgnorth car park
A nursing home company operating in two of Shropshire's largest towns has outlined reasons why an additional care facility should not be built on the site of a well-used car park in Bridgnorth.
Holy Cross Care Homes Ltd, which runs Bradeney House near Bridgnorth and Holy Cross Care Home in Shrewsbury, centred its objection to plans for a 66-room care home on Smithfield Car Park around three points – the loss of car parking spaces, economic harm to the town and a lack of evidence showing the project's benefits.
The planning application to develop the car park was submitted to Shropshire Council earlier this year by LNT Care Developments.
Owned and managed by Les Jones and Jane Welsman-Jones, Holy Cross Care Homes Ltd opened its Shrewsbury home 20 years ago and Bradeney House in Worfield in 2007.
In its objection written by solicitor Elizabeth Shield, the care home company said there were "a number" of issues which made the planning application "unacceptable".
Ms Shield said: "The proposal does not appear to retain any of the existing parking spaces for Bridgnorth town centre and surrounding retail development, and the loss of the existing spaces results in an unacceptable impact in transport and economic terms.
"Our client considers that the loss of parking spaces cannot be offset, for example, by provision elsewhere.
Businesses
"Our client remains of the view that the proposal, which would potentially result in the loss of all spaces for shoppers and a private car park for care home users only, would cause a detrimental impact which would be impossible to mitigate in the same way. It should therefore be considered unacceptable."
Ms Shield added that businesses would suffer due to the loss of parking.
She said: "It is accepted that the care home will create jobs but there are also social and economic harms which need to be weighed in the balance, including the reduction in parking spaces which may drive people away from Bridgnorth at busier times, as well as the loss of valuable commercial space within the town centre and a resulting unacceptable impact on the overall character of the area."
Ms Shield added: "Our client is unable to see how the proposed care home will meet an identified community need and provide an invaluable community service.
"No evidence has been submitted to support either of these assertions and much of the evidence appears to run to the contrary.
"Our client is not aware of any care homes in Bridgnorth which are at full capacity which directly rebuts the applicant’s claims."
