Plans for dementia care home and apartments in grounds of Pera to be considered

The parkland adjacent to Staveley Lodge would be used for the scheme with access via the existing turn on to the site from 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 with stakeholders and public feedback.

A report to go before tonight’s planning committee states: “The use of the garden which forms the application site previously provided space for outdoor events for occupiers and social use but is now largely unused.”

It continues: “Melton has an ageing population, and the town has a need for extra care facilities to cope with the demographic change, ideally these facilities should be located no more than half a mile from the town centre, where there are no significant gradients, so that residents can visit the town centre and maintain social contact with the community.”

Three letters of objection were received from three separate households, and one neutral letter, after a planning site notice was posted last year.

Some concerns have been voice about the new development being too big and overshadowing the landscape in that part of town.

The planning report says in response: “The Pera ‘tower’ is one of the tallest buildings in Melton Mowbray at five storeys high.

"The amended proposal now varies between two and three storeys in height for the proposed apartments facing Nottingham Road and two and four storeys in height for the proposed care home.

"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.”

The applicants say the new buildings would be set back from the pavement and trees planted, along with the existing tree cover.

The scheme would be opposite Sainsbury’s supermarket and next to Melton Livestock Market but county highways say it would not have a major impact on the road there.

This evening’s planning committee meeting starts at 6pm at the council’s Parkside HQ.