Renewed bid made to turn care home into block of flats
Northgate House care home, Hellesdon.Picture: ANTONY KELLY - Credit: Archant
The owner of a former care home has made a renewed bid to turn the building into flats, eight months after a previous application was refused.
Last year, the owners of Northgate House, in Hellesdon, lodged a planning application to convert the property into 11 studio flats and a six-bedroom shared living space.
The application, which came one month after the home was given notice to close by Norfolk County Council, was refused on the grounds of being considered unacceptable and detrimental to the local area.
Now, eight months on, a new application has been submitted to turn the home into three three-bedroom flats and an additional parking space.
Setting out details of the proposal, the planning documents says the new application has taken its lead from last year's failed bid by dramatically reducing the number of proposed flats.
It states: "The proposed flats make very efficient use of the existing building whilst not overdeveloping the site. The flats will be spacious and fit well as family homes with adequate amenity and parking."
It also says the renewed bid comes after the care home has been on the market for six months without success: "The negative CQC report effectively prevents the economic reuse of the premises as a care home.
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"The proposed residential use will therefore bring back into operation an otherwise redundant building and add to the district's housing supply without any buyers coming forward."
But the application has been met with opposition, with those living in the area raising concerns about the layout of the proposed conversion, the use of the flats if approved and parking.
One objector said: "I have lived in Hellesdon all my life and in my present house for 28 years and have never experienced any trouble noise or traffic problems but can envisage if multiple occupancy is made this will change."
Another said: "The main house should be returned to family accommodation and the rest should be redeveloped. If these plans go ahead it will devalue all our properties and be an eyesore in the area."
The applicant, Mr Z Rubhomutally, was contacted for comment.
