66-bed care home at Four Winds, Mappleborough Green, Redditch

The proposed development

Demolition of existing buildings and erection of a two-storey, 66-bedroom care home, with access, parking, landscaping and ancillary buildings.

“The application was for Four Winds, Birmingham Road, Mappleborough Green, Redditch, B80 7DH and sought the demolition of the existing buildings and the erection of a two-storey, 66-bedroom care home (Use Class C2), with associated access, parking, landscaping and ancillary buildings.”

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A cross-boundary site

The application was a cross-boundary case with Stratford-on-Avon District Council, with most of the site within Redditch Borough.

“Officers noted that the application was a Cross-boundary application with Stratford-on-Avon District Council. Page 10 of the Site Plans and Presentations pack detailed the existing site layout and clarified that most of the application site was situated within the administrative area of Redditch Borough Council.”

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Design and setting

The building would be mainly red brick with cladding and render, over two floors, constrained by development to the east, west and south.

“The building would be predominantly made of red brick with the use of cladding and render to reflect the surrounding area and was well constrained with existing development to the East and West and an approved development site situated to the south. The care home would be over two floors, and the layout was typical for the type of development with all rooms exceeding the care sector minimum standards…”

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Open space and landscaping

Part of the site was open space but privately owned with no public access, and landscaping would soften the development's impact.

“Part of the site was designated as primary open space, however, the land was privately owned and not accessible to the general public so was afforded limited weight. Additionally, some of the open space would be retained in the form of external landscaped amenity for residents and visitors. Consideration had been had to the scale, scope and appearance of the development with appropriate landscaping being included to soften the impact of the building.”

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Officers' recommendation

Officers gave considerable weight to the care provision and housing supply benefits against the loss of open space, and recommended approval.

“Officers gave considerable weight to the care provision and addition to the housing land supply which would be generated by the development, this was balanced against the loss of the primary open space and impact to the surrounding area.”

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Who addressed the committee

The applicant's representative addressed the committee in support of the application.

Members' questions

Officers clarified that access safety was for another authority to assess, and explained how a Section 106 health contribution would be spent.

“The following was clarified by Officers after questions from Members. • That as the access/egress point was situated within the Stratford-on-Avon administrative area the suitability and safety of the access was for Warwickshire County Council to consider and was not part of the application before Members. • The relevant authorities had been consulted in regard to Ecological matters which included Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements.”

“Members sought further clarity regarding the S106 contribution requested by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which would be attached to the Stratford-on-Avon part of the application. Officers assured Members that neither authority had the power to determine how the money would be spent and that once the money had been received it would be transferred in full to the Trust once the relevant conditions had been met.”

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