Councillors approve care home and apartments in grounds of Pera

Pera say proceeds from selling the land for the development will be invested back into the Nottingham Road site to provide 14,000 sq ft of extra office space and create 150 new jobs.

The dementia care home, which is planned to be built on parkland close to the historic Staveley Lodge and adjacent to the town’s livestock market, will have 70 beds, while 22 extra care apartments for the elderly will be constructed on land fronting Nottingham Road.

The scale of the proposed developments has been reduced since the initial plans, which sought permission for a 77-bed car home and 30 apartments, following consultations and public feedback. There will be 50 full time staff at the home and 25 part-timers.

Councillor John Illingworth told the planning committee he supported the proposals because: “There is an element of a sprat to catch a mackerel here.

"By releasing funds, by creating capital from this, there is going to be further planned expansion of the main Pera site and these new 150 jobs will be much better paid than the care assistants will be.

"We have to see this as part of a phased expansion of a site and the bit being built is needed and the bit that will be built will be progress.”

James Botterill, of hssp architects, spoke as agent for the applicants, and explained to councillors that Pera had undertaken a needs assessment which showed a major shortfall of dementia care beds locally with the number of over 65s in the borough set to rise by 45 per cent by 2040.

He said the 37 parking spaces provided for the home and extra care apartments would be sufficient based on discussions with county highways and it being a town centre location.

But Councillor Chris Evans challenged this and voiced concerns that with 28 staff working each shift and people visiting residents it was an inadequate provision and should be nearer 50.

Councillor Pru Chandler agreed that dementia care beds were needed but questioned whether this was the right location being close to the cattle market.

Her sentiments were echoed by Councillor Tim Webster, a former manager and auctioneer at the market, who told the committee: “I worked there for 30 years and this care home would be right next to the cow shed which is a noisy environment.

"There are lorries coming in there at all times of the night and animal sales and events through the week.”

Members were told that windows in the care home would be sealed to prevent residents being disturbed by noise from the market and fencing would also be designed to reduce sound pollution.

A report which went before the committee stated that some of the mature trees would be retained and others would be planted to provide further screening but some existing trees would have to be removed.On the scale of the development, the report states: "Given the context and character of the surroundings the proposal is not considered to be appear particularly incongruous given the scale of the buildings nearby.”