Refusing care home plan is not beneficial to our community
From: Dr Richard Kirkham, High Trees Court, Sherburn-in-Elmet.
IT WAS with immense disappointment to read of Selby District Council’s position on the redevelopment of Barchester Highfield Nursing Home in Barkston Ash, stating “… the proposed benefits arising from the [new build] scheme do not outweigh the actual harm to the openness of the green belt” (Wetherby News, Friday June 26, 2009).
Having briefly inspected the representations made during the consultation period, I can’t help but consider most of these to be of a trivial and banal nature.
Whilst I fully appreciate the potential impacts of development creep on green-belt land, those opposing the development seem unable to grasp the magnitude of the challenge arising from the exponential growth in our ageing population.
Highfield is a vital community resource, providing care to elderly and disabled people in our area.
The proposed increase in footprint should provide Barchester with a sustainable solution to the long-term demands of our community, supporting those who need professional care at their most vulnerable.
One imagines that those objecting to the proposals may very well take a different position should they find themselves in need of this care.
I may also add that the recent Scarthingwell Park development by Portland Homes (adjacent to the site) was granted planning permission – I suspect that this development has very little benefit to our community so I would question the judgment of refusing permission to Barchester.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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