By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Councillors threw out two separate plans from the same care organisation to convert two Mansfield homes into assisted living apartments.
Mansfield District Council’s planning committee rejected separate plans lodged by IBC Healthcare for the separate detached homes in different parts of the town.
The health organisation targeted one home in Mansfield Road, Mansfield Woodhouse, and a second in Lichfield Lane, Berry Hill.
And it told councillors the plans – a collaboration with Nottinghamshire County Council and the NHS – was a “commitment” to “much-needed” supported accommodation for people with autism.
It hoped to turn both properties into four apartments each aimed at increasing hospital discharges and boosting local health and social care employment.
However, both plans were thrown out by the committee on Monday (July 31) over concerns about parking, traffic and the impact on nearby residents.
Concerned neighbours spoke against both plans in the chamber and said the provider had not contacted them to address their concerns or to outline how it would manage the properties in their area.
They raised objections based on issues with traffic, on-road parking, the risk of a “thoroughfare” and “significant comings and goings” in their areas.
One neighbour described the plans as “ill-conceived and badly-designed” with councillors agreeing the plans should be refused.
Andrew Pinnick, a neighbour on Lichfield Lane, told the meeting: “It’s a lovely community and we’re surrounded by courteous, friendly and caring neighbours.
“We’ve been put under undue stress for the last few months due to the nature and scale of the development. We feel trapped in this situation.
“The business doesn’t acknowledge or appreciate the impact on residents and the community and will therefore not enforce the control at a local level needed to minimise disruption.
“They have made no attempt to contact us directly to alleviate our concerns.”
Glenn Wilson, of Mansfield Road in Woodhouse, added: “These people and staff will find themselves in the middle of something not of their making.
“All they want to do is get on with their lives but it’s already causing a lot of ill feeling and there’s potentially quite a big impact on everybody living there and working there, as well as everyone around.
“There must be better locations that are much better suited to the people who are going to live there.”
However, a spokesman for the applicant said letters had been sent to concerned residents with contact details on the masthead, meaning the healthcare organisation could be contacted regarding concerns.
And Jenny Payne, of IBC Healthcare, said the organisation typically doesn’t liaise with neighbouring properties for plans such as this.
She says the plans would help to support people who have been hospitalised “for many years, mostly in segregation” because there is “nowhere for them to go”.
“The large majority reason they’re housed in the hospital setting is because there’s no accommodation available for these people,” she added.
“If a detached house, which isn’t in close proximity to neighbours, is not suitable, I ask where is appropriate for these people?
“We talk about the impact of neighbours, however, these people are citizens currently placed in hospitals miles away from their homes and their network.
“We don’t liaise with neighbours because would you liaise with neighbours if you wanted to move house?
“Why should these individuals be discriminated against?”
But the committee sided with concerned neighbours and voted down both plans by eight votes to one.
Cllr Jack Stephenson (Lab), who represents Market Warsop, said: “It’s clear these are just not acceptable for the residents around.
“It’s really frustrating we’re coming through this with what’s clearly a needed thing but we’re sitting here and can’t allow [them].
“I can only hope if any further proposals come forward off the back of these that they take into account local residents’ concerns and engage with those.”
