THREE applications to build care homes in Melksham have been opposed by Melksham Town Council and Melksham Without Parish Council.
The three applications are for an 86-bed care home on land at Longleaze Lane; a 70-bed care home on land at Verbena Court; and a 70-bed care home on land south of Western Way, along with the building of 210 houses.
But councillors and local health professionals have raised concerns about the impact three new care homes would have if given planning permission.
At a recent Area Board meeting on 12th September, Dr Amy Gately, clinical director at the Melksham & Bradford-on-Avon Primary Care Network, expressed concern at the additional strain the care homes would put on local health services.
She said that often developers stated that new care homes reduce strain on local health services but in their experience this was not the case, as they often led to additional care home visits, medicine queries and significant communication between the home and doctor surgeries.
Speaking at a Melksham Without planning committee meeting on Monday 2nd October, cllr Nick Holder said the number of beds proposed far exceeded those needed in Melksham. He said, “There’s a deficit of about 90 care beds within the Melksham area and a deficit of about 200 in Wiltshire in its entirety.” Should all three of these applications be approved, he said, the capacity for the whole of Wiltshire would be satisfied within the Melksham area.
He also expressed concern at the commercial viability of three elderly care home facilities being provided at the same time and the possibility that, if care home providers didn’t come forward, that developers could subsequently submit plans for housing on some or all of these sites
Longleaze Lane
The application to build an 86-bed care home on land at Longleaze Lane is under consultation and due to be decided on by the end of November.
Both Melksham Town Council and MWPC have objected to the planning application, citing concerns around the size and scale of the development; mature planting and trees being protected; flooding risks and drainage issues; impact to the grade II listed buildings in the area; and concerns around access and roads.
At Melksham Town Council’s economic, development and planning committee meeting on Tuesday 2nd October, councillors objected to the plans, but suggested the planning officer re-addressed elements of the application to make it more acceptable.
Councillors also said they ‘preferred’ this care home application over the one for Verbena Court, subject to changes.
“There is a need for elderly care. I prefer this site to the other site, personally” said cllr Phil Alford. “It’s a more sustainable site, it’s more in-keeping with the local area, the access is better, off Spa Road. For me this is a preferable site. There is a need, as far as I am aware for care homes. I am quite happy to put on the table that we approve this one subject to further work done on size and scale to make it more acceptable. I know it’s not perfect.”
Cllr Jennie Westbrook also said she preferred this application to the one at Verbena Court but still objected to it, saying, “I can’t [support this] based on the significant number of comments about it. I just can’t support it [because the people of] Melksham East [do not want it].”
Verbena Court
The application to build a 70-bed care home on Land at Verbena Court, which would provide care for those with enhanced needs such as dementia, is also under consultation and due to be decided on by the end of November.
The application was met with objection from town and parish councillors following a presentation about the plans from Gillings Planning in August, that said the application fulfils a need for this type of facility within 5km of the area.
At the time, councillors raised concerns about the plans, saying not enough residents had been consulted and the location of Verbena Court was not the right area for this development, which was initially earmarked for a community facility.
Speaking at the economic and development meeting on Tuesday 3rd October, where representatives from Gillings Planning were also present to reiterate their plans, cllr Saffi Rabey said, “We all understand there is a need for these provisions but I think we’re all of the opinion that scale-wise this is huge, and the location is not the right location for this. I am not saying there isn’t a need for these facilities, but not at Verbena Court. With all the points we’ve raised, I personally couldn’t support this.”
Councillors also raised concerns about the amount of traffic on Eastern Way and the impact on GP and medical facilities.
Land South of Western Way
This sits within the MWPC boundary and an outline planning application was refused by Wiltshire Council earlier this year on the grounds that it had been protected from development in Melksham’s Neighbourhood Plan.
However, the application has gone to appeal, with an appeal meeting scheduled to happen at the town hall on 24th October.
MWPC strongly opposed the plans earlier this year, as they said the green buffer between the separate communities of Bowerhill and Melksham would be lost. They also raised concerns about the existing infrastructure such as schools, GP surgeries and roads, saying they would not cope with the increased number of residents.
