LNT Care Developments given permission to build 66-bed residential care home in Bourne

A new 66-bed residential care facility for elderly people is to be built.

LNT Care Developments has been granted planning permission by South Kesteven District Council to demolish an unoccupied two-storey house and build the care home on Tarragon Way in Bourne.

According to officers, the development will sit centrally within the 1.66-acre site in a H-shaped layout, with 30 car parking spaces to the north.

During a meeting last week, LNT Care’s senior planning manager Jo Kemp said the two-storey facility would generate “significant employment,” with 50 to 60 jobs expected to be created for local people.

“It would provide a multi-million pound investment into the area and become a key part of the local community, forming links with schools and community groups, as well as business opportunities for local contractors and suppliers, which will last well beyond the construction phase.”

She added: “The care home would also benefit from 30 parking spaces and, as most of our operational homes of this size have 25, we are confident that 30 will be more than enough.

“There will be up to 24 members of staff on site at the busiest part of the day, which is over the lunchtime shift, and the shifts are staggered to avoid busy changeovers.”

Concerns were raised by Coriander Drive resident Matthew Barber about access to the site being through his street, rather than using the existing entrance from the southern end of Tarragon Way, which currently serves the site.

He questioned whether the existing access could be used for a few months during the construction phase, but Ms Kemp explained that the company had been unable to secure the legal right of way.

She continued: “I appreciate there is a desire for us to use the existing access into the site from Tarragon Way, as we’ve spoken about. However, as you’ve heard, this driveway unfortunately crosses land outside our ownership and, despite our best efforts, we cannot get the legal right of way over it.

“Obviously, we’ve proposed to utilise the Coriander Drive access instead, to which the highways authority have no objection.”

A colleague of the applicant added: “It’s not that we’re not willing to pay — I don’t want it to be seen as us trying to save money.”

Ward councillor Helen Crawford (Conservative) also addressed the committee, stating: “This came to Bourne Town Council and the majority of residents had no issue with the location of the care home, but it was the egress and parking. For me, this is an ideal location.

“I am saddened to read that basically there is a ransom strip of land which could have been used and would have been ideal for the entrance to the site.

“I still have concerns with the entrance on Coriander Drive, with the residents who park and the additional HGVs that will have to go through that part of the estate.

“I also do not think that there is enough parking, as I would hate for future visitors and workers to end up parking on the estate.”

Ultimately, members of the committee supported the proposed development, but placed conditions on the applicant to submit a travel plan and a construction plan.