The development will provide a high quality care home that will be an appropriate use for the land and provide a much needed facility in the area. The proposal provides the following benefits:

-Provides a 2-storey 64-bedroom care home at approx. 53m² per bedroom;

-The existing boundary hedge to the properties to the north are retained within a 5m buffer zone;

-The care home respects the established building line to London Road to provide a positive streetscape;

– The elevation to London Road is separated by a glazed, central link to provide a more ‘domestic’ scale;

– The design of the home ensures that all 16-bedroom households have south facing gardens or balconies;

– Gable ends that do not have habitable windows are the closest part of the proposed building to the adjacent existing properties and proposed retail unit;

– Habitable rooms are set back from the northern boundary, looking into a courtyard garden;

– A central entrance allows separate access into the four 16-bedroom care wings; A car park with 32 spaces including three disabled spaces, ambulance/ service bay and cycle parking serves the home;

– and, The back of house areas are located adjacent to the service area vehicle access for separate service access and away from the existing properties.