Newark care home plan refused for its ‘obtrusive’ design
Visualisation of proposed building from London Road towards south west. Image credit: Stem Architects Ltd
By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter
Plans for a 66-bed care home in Newark were rejected by the council over its ‘obtrusive’ design and limited car parking.
Care home developer Torsion Care submitted plans for the facility to Newark and Sherwood District Council in January 2025. The council refused proposals last Thursday (May 15).
The developer wanted to demolish the existing building on the site, which is accessed from Walker Close off London Road in Newark-on-Trent, to build a new care home.
The existing building was built in the 1980s, originally as a Nottinghamshire County Council-run residential care home.
From 2018 onwards, it was used by the former Woods Court adult day centre. The building is now vacant.
Plans included 66 en-suite bedrooms for the home across a three-storey build, along with specialist dementia care provision, dining spaces, lounges, activity areas and a secure garden area.
However plans were refused by the council last week on the grounds the scale and design of the building was “obtrusive” and would cause “substantial harm” to the character of the conservation area and nearby listed buildings.
The council also refused the proposals because it believed there was insufficient car parking and limited room for on-site deliveries.
The developer says in planning documents it previously submitted a pre-application advice enquiry for the plans, which found “some concerns in relation to the scale of the proposed building as a three-storey structure”.
Documents continue: “However it is considered on balance that the proposed site and surrounding conservation area can accommodate a three storey building of considered design on the site.
“In an effort to minimise the mass of the building; the building has been designed to be faceted with reveals and set backs creating a sense of depth to the building and interest; breaking down the mass and scale when seen through trees from London Road.
“It is designed to somewhat mimic a larger period dwelling typical of the area, with symmetrical elements, being set back from the roadside.”
Papers also say the roof was designed to have a flat element to minimise the height of the building and to allow for solar panels “without them having a negative impact on the surrounding conservation area, being essentially hidden”.
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