Deepdale Place Care Home Gets Planning Permission Despite Objections from Residents & Ferry Councillors

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On Monday evening 18 February, the Development Management Committee of the City Council considered the planning application for:
11 DEEPDALE PLACE, BROUGHTY FERRY - CHANGE OF USE FROM PRIVATE
DWELLINGHOUSE TO RESIDENCE FOR DEPENDENT YOUNG PEOPLE

Link to Committee Report 

After hearing two deputations from objectors and the developer, I proposed that planning permission be refused.

This is a copy of the statement I read out to the Committee:

'Convener, I shall be moving that permission for this development is refused. This proposal is the wrong development for this site.

Firstly, I think the applicants and the planners have seriously underestimated the amount of traffic that would be generated by the managers, visitors including the relatives of residents, the two shifts of staff, suppliers and the transport toing and froing to take residents to other services. This would clearly be more than the equivalent traffic movements from a multi car owning ordinary household. They have also underestimated the parking pressure in the street from the Coop convenience store in Claypotts Road less than 100 metres away.

Secondly, this development is bound to generate more noise than the ambient noise generated by the neighbours because this is a quiet street where many of the residents moved in when the estate was new. One of the objectors comments that 80% of the residents living close to the development are over 65 years old.  I think the residents deserve a continuing quiet life.

Thirdly, The garden ground fails to provide adequate amounts of amenity space for the client group selected. The site is sloping with a significant drop in levels from the front entrance to the end of the back garden ground. This would be challenging for the client group some of whom are likely to have mobility challenges.

Additionally residents are also mindful that the 'use category' would give permission for successor operators at these premises to change the client group of  the residents to other types of client groups. While the applicants claim they would create a family atmosphere, the staffing suggests otherwise. This amounts to a mini care home business.

This then is the wrong development for this site which is NOT in accord with planning policies.

Accordingly, I move refusal.'

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the Committee voted 13 for and 8 against and this development was granted planning permission.