Telford Alzheimers and respite centre plans being reconsidered after objections
Plans for a specialist Alzheimer’s day and respite care centre in Telford are being reconsidered after objections were raised.
The Priory Nursing Home, in Wellington, proposed to build a new two-storey building with care facilities on the ground floor and respite care facilities on the first floor, in the form of six en-suite bedrooms and bathrooms.
Joanne Cornwell, Telford & Wrekin Council’s housing strategy and commissioning programme manager supported the plan.
She said the building would provide ‘very much needed’ EMI (elderly mentally infirm) respite and a seven-day day centre facility.
The 19th century Priory building, formerly Spring Hill House, is located within the grounds of The Priory Nursing Home.
A heritage statement submitted with the plans argued that there would be ‘no harmful impact’ on the registered building of local interest.
However, the council’s built heritage department objected to the plans and stated that putting a ‘substantial building’ directly in front of The Priory would cause ‘immense harm’ to its architectural and historic character.
“No evidence has been provided to justify the harm to the Building of Local Interest or to suggest that the harm would be outweighed by the provision of Alzheimer’s care in the community,” a council built heritage officer argued.
“In particular, there is no evidence to indicate that an alternate siting elsewhere in the community would be unworkable.
“The proposal would fail to protect the character of a Building of Local Interest.”
The council’s ecology department also objected to the scheme and requested that a biodiversity net gain (BNG) assessment should be carried out by a ‘qualified and experienced ecologist’.
“This will enable accurate decision-making and help inform site design, given the various factors influencing the site,” a council ecology officer said.
The ecology officer raised fears that existing grassland would be permanently lost to the new building and parking spaces.
“Further grassed areas would be temporarily impacted by the material storage area and site compound,” the ecology officer added.
“Due to previous unauthorised development on the site, including felling of tree preservation order trees, habitat degradation has also occurred, meaning that the baseline value of the site to wildlife is now lower than it would otherwise have been.
“As no landscaping scheme has been submitted, it is difficult to judge whether habitat value could be reinstated to a level that meets policy requirements.
“It should be noted that the council expect as much onsite delivery of BNG as possible.”
The applicant has now withdrawn the plan and states that they propose enquiring about a revised scheme ‘in due course’.
