Bid to knock down care home and build houses rejected
A vision for how the new homes on the former Kelling Park Care Home site could look. - Credit: Planning documents
Councillors have voted to refuse permission for a former care home to be demolished and replaced with eight homes in north Norfolk.
Kelling Estate had wanted to build a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes on the old Kelling Park Care Home site off Holgate Hill, behind Holt Garden Centre.
But at a North Norfolk District Council development committee meeting on Thursday, February 25, councillors followed the recommendation of planning officers and voted to refuse permission by a majority of 10 votes to four.
The scheme had been recommended for refusal due to a number of factors including wildlife and environmental concerns and the fact the district already has a five-year supply of housing land.
A vision for how the new homes on the former Kelling Park Care Home site could look. - Credit: Planning documents
Geoff Armstrong, director of Armstrong Rigg Planning, on behalf of the Kelling Estate, attempted to promote the development.
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He said: "The proposals offer the opportunity to replace a dilapidated unused building which officers agree are of no historic or architectural merit with a high-quality scheme of housing of innovative design with promotes high levels of sustainability."
In an email sent to the committee, councillor Karen Ward said she was "disappointed" the application had been recommended for refusal and asked her colleagues to "overturn the officer's recommendation and enable this development to proceed".
Councillor John Toye was one of those to support the application - Credit: Archant
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John Toye said the site was currently occupied by "an ugly, poorly insulated, uncared for building" and said he felt the proposed development would be "less noticeable" than the current building.
Nigel Lloyd said he "put a lot of weight" on the fact the site was a brownfield site.
Mr Lloyd said: "I think this is exactly the sort of property we should be encouraging developers to build in north Norfolk as we are a climate emergency declared council."
But Paul Heinrich proposed the committee accepted the officer's recommendation to refuse the development.
He said, while at surface level the "developer had a good case for [the proposal]", he urged his colleagues to look "below the surface".
He said: "Importantly the land is in the AoNB, land we are committed to protect, the design of the properties bears no relation to the local vernacular, bringing in tall, narrow buildings, vast amounts of glass.
"This is totally out of character for this part of north Norfolk."
