Nigel Newton Taylor, Director, HPC“The benefit attributable to care home development has become key to the decision making process surrounding Green Belt sites and our clients consistently acknowledge the importance of the role of the HPC Care Home Need Assessment in that benefit consideration”
In this instance HPC acted on behalf of Frontier Estates during the detailed planning application relating to a site at Fairview, Southend Road, Billericay, Essex. Falling within the jurisdiction of Basildon Council, the client sought consent for a new 76-bed care home.
The complexities of this case were significant – not least the Green Belt location – all of which resulted in a significant timeline from application in May 2021 through to consent being granted in May 2023.
With 63% of the Basildon District geography being considered Green Belt, identifying very special circumstances in order to justify development was key. The HPC Care Home Need Assessment provided, in a clear and concise manner, evidence to the planning department from both Adult Social Care (Essex County Council) and Housing (Basildon Council) strategies. The strategic overview, coupled with in depth analysis of outstanding need (from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective) underlined a significant need for future development and played a critical role in securing consent for our client.
With consent for the proposal ultimately forthcoming on 19th May 2023, the freehold site was subsequently transferred to Barchester Healthcare.
