Controversial care home bid approved

A CONTROVERSIAL care home at Purdis Farm has been approved - despite protests that it will ruin the area's tranquillity and cause extra traffic.

Developers of the 55-bedroom scheme have pledged to look again at car parking and to increase the number of spaces to overcome worries of people parking in Bucklesham Road.

Residents, parish and district councillors and the Suffolk Preservation Society all objected to the plans for the home.

Graham Balfe, of the Bucklesham Road Area Residents' Association, told Suffolk Coastal councillors the development would be “unacceptably oppressive” for adjoining house owners and would spoil the rural nature of Bucklesham Road and set a precedent for similar projects.

Councillor Debbie McCallum said she was very concerned only 18 parking spaces were to be provided with the potential for the home to be busy at peak visiting times, leaving people no option but to park in the road.

She said: “There could be 30 staff movements in and out, and in an ideal world people would share transport or come by bike, but we know that doesn't happen in reality.

“My concern is parking and it has been reduced to a level which I don't think is enough.”

Peter Wells, from the developers, said it was very unlikely any resident of the nursing home would have a car, and experience at previous similar developments suggested the parking would be more than enough.

However, he was prepared to see if four extra spaces plus an overflow of two or three on a grassed area could be provided.

Cameron Hamilton Homes - who will demolish the house on the 1.6-acre site to make way for the care home - were granted consent on condition parking and delivery vehicle concerns were resolved and a green travel plan drawn up.

Should the care home be built? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk