75-bed care home at Hillside Retirement Home, Great Cornard, Sudbury

What was proposed

A three-storey care home with a basement and 75 bedrooms would replace the existing 47-bedroom care home, adding 28 units.

“The application seeks full planning permission for the erection of a new three-storey, with basement, 75-bedroom Care Home to replace the existing two-storey, with basement, 47 bedroom Hillside Retirement Home on site, which is proposed to be demolished. 28 no. additional residential units are, therefore, proposed.”

Officer report

The site and surroundings

The 0.36-hectare site lies within Great Cornard’s settlement boundary, near Sudbury, and contains two care homes separated by access and parking.

“The site lies completely within the settlement boundary of Great Cornard and is within less than one kilometre of Sudbury Town Centre, to the north-west.”

“The site comprises 2 no. existing Care Homes: Hillside, located on the front portion of the site, fronting Kings Hill; and Mellish House a more modern care home, located to the rear, at a lower land level. The two Care Homes are separated by an existing internal access driveway and carparking, to the centre of the site.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval, subject to a travel-plan contribution and conditions covering highways, drainage, construction, amenity, ecology and other matters.

“Conditions: - Commencement Time Limit; - Approved Plans and Documents; - Anglian Water - Strategic foul water strategy prior to commencement; - LLFA - Strategy for disposal of surface water and Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) to be implemented in full; - LLFA - Construction Surface Water Management Plan (CSWMP); - LLFA - Surface Water Drainage Verification Report; - Sustainable Construction and Design; - Environmental Protection - Residential Glazing; - Environmental Protection…”

“- Development to be carried out in accordance with Arboricultural Report; - Landscaping - Timetable for implementation and Aftercare; - Highways - Details of proposed access and off-site highway improvements; - Highways - Surface water discharge prevention details; - Highways - Manoeuvring and Parking; - Highways - Secure Cycle Storage; - Highways - Refuse and Recycle Bins; - Highways - Workplace Travel Plan;”

Officer report

What consultees said

The parish council recommended refusal, while highways, flood, archaeology, environmental health, ecology, housing and other consultees raised no objection or supported approval subject to controls.

“BMSDC - Environmental Health - Noise/Odour/Light/Smoke - Comments Received - 04/07/2025 No objection subject to conditions - The acoustic report indicates that mitigation is required to ensure that the noise levels for proposed residents is acceptable.”

“BMSDC - Ecology Consultants - Place Services - Comments Received - 13/10/2025 No objection - Subject to: Compliance with mitigation measures; Construction Environmental Management Plan for Biodiversity; Biodiversity Enhancement Strategy; Wildlife Sensitive Lighting Design Scheme; Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP); and Biodiversity Gain - Conditions.”

Officer report

What residents said

Six objections raised concerns about construction, traffic, pedestrian safety, parking, the building’s height, overlooking, light, drainage, landscape and residents’ outdoor space.

“- Disruption during demolition and building; - Disruption due to construction traffic; - Disruption due to traffic congestion during demolition and build; - Concerns with regards increased traffic and risk to highway and pedestrian safety once in operation; - Concerns with regards capacity of existing footpath to Kings Hill frontage, which is presently narrow; - Concerns with regards lack on off-street parking provision; - Concerns with regards overall height of the proposed…”

“- Proposal would result in an adverse landscape impact; - Proposal would increase flood risk due to increased permeable areas; - Removal of trees and associated impacts; - Strain on existing waste infrastructure; - Site and area already have inadequate drainage and sewage disposal capacity - Proposal would increase instances of sewage flooding (Kings Meadow presently experiences sewage flooding approximately every 6 months); - Insufficient outside space proposed for future…”

Officer report

Who spoke

The case officer presented the proposal, the agent answered members’ questions, and a ward member’s written representation was read aloud.

What members debated

Members discussed care-home need, relocating residents, delivery access, landscaping, footpaths, parking, energy, biodiversity, rainwater harvesting and construction arrangements.

“Members debated the application on issues including: the need for new care home facilities, temporary relocation of residents, access for delivery vehicles onto the site, landscape management, proposed boundary treatment, the extension of the footpath at the front of the property, parking provisions for visitors and staff, solar panels and battery storage, proposed biodiversity improvements, rain water harvesting, and a considerate constructors scheme.”

“Applicant to provide details of customer care during the build; • Wall to King’s Hill • Considerate Constructors’ Scheme • Rainwater Harvesting • Biodiversity enhancement condition to explicitly mention nesting boxes…”

Minutes

How members voted

Councillor Beer proposed approval, Councillor Grandon seconded it, and the application was approved unanimously.

“Councillor Beer proposed that the application be approved as detailed in the Officer’s recommendation with the additional conditions and informative note as read out by the Area Planning Manager.”

“Councillor Grandon seconded the proposal.”

Minutes

What was decided

Planning permission was granted with the travel-plan contribution, recommended conditions and informatives, plus additional measures arising from the debate.

“That Members resolve to GRANT planning permission subject to the following obligations, conditions and informatives and/or those as may be deemed necessary by the Chief Planning Officer:”

“Highways - Surface water discharge prevention details; - Highways - Manoeuvring and Parking; - Highways - Secure Cycle Storage; - Highways - Refuse and Recycle Bins; - Highways - Workplace Travel Plan - Highways - Sustainable Travel Pack; - Accessible and adaptable units (as required by JLP Policy LP06, under part M4(2) of Building Regulations); - Obscure glazing to stairway and corridor windows to side elevations; - Compliance with Ecology mitigation measures; -…”

Minutes