A housing association has written to residents outlining its reasons for resubmitting an application to build a 59-home extra care scheme for elderly and vulnerable people in Bedale.
People living in the vicinity of the town’s Queen’s Drive have all received a letter and supporting documentation, including photographs showing how the new building would look on the site, which has already been earmarked for housing.
The information is aimed at allaying any concerns local people may have about the proposed scheme.
It comes in the week that Broadacres will resubmit a planning application for the extra care scheme to Hambleton District Council, whose planning committee rejected the first application in January
The association has already lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate over this decision.
Broadacres says it is exercising its right to make a further planning application within a twelve-month period.
This is allowed when either a material change has been made to the previous application or if further supporting evidence can be provided.
In the new application Broadacres has attempted to address the areas on which planning was originally refused, including:
- Producing a new design report containing more detail on how the development will sit within the site and how it respects, interacts and complements the surrounding area and wider character of Bedale.
- A statement claiming that this is the only viable site in Bedale.
- A statement claiming that people living in the four existing bungalows earmarked for demolition have all been found, and accepted, alternative homes within the Queen Anne’s estate.
- Using statistics to highlight the need for an extra care housing scheme in Bedale, with population projections showing the number of people aged over 65 is set to grow from 25.9 per cent to 35.2 per cent by 2043.
Broadacres’ chief executive Gail Teasdale said: “As a community-based not-for-profit charity, Broadacres believes being able to age well by living independently while being supported in your own community is really important.
“Bedale is the only market town in Hambleton without an extra care scheme and the site is the only one close enough to the town centre to enable residents to walk or take public transport to access local amenities, which are vital in ensuring they remain connected to their social and family networks.
“This will play an important part in residents’ continued health and wellbeing.
“It is clear that Hambleton has an above average elderly population, one which is only going to get older, and we hope this, along with many other submissions we have made in the new application, will enable us to proceed with this much-needed extra care scheme in Bedale.”
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