NFDC shares concerns over size of Frontier Estates’ 70-bed care home plan for land near Wheelwrights Post, Salisbury Road, Burgate, Fordingbridge

A 70-bed care home planned in the Forest has raised concerns from the district council over its size.

Frontier Estates wants to build the home on land adjacent to the Wheelwrights Post on Salisbury Road in Burgate.

In a design and access statement, the developer said the building has been designed to “complement” the area’s semi-rural nature.

The statement continued: “The proposed footprint and internal design would provide accommodation fit for purpose whilst also considering a dynamic and architecturally conscious façade

“Due to considerations of the proposed massing and layout of the scheme, the local planning authority supports the principle of a care home on the site, however, raised concerns regarding the scale and mass.”

The statement said NFDC suggested the building “appears to be rather large” for the site and is “not well enough handled” to set it sympathetically within the landscape.

The developer said NFDC complained that the building’s footprint extends “little too much” over the site to enable the green infrastructure improvements needed as part of the wider strategic site allocation.

NFDC also said it feared the building may feel a “little institutional” as a single building.

The layout consists of a ground floor with 30 en suite bedrooms, a first floor with 31 bedrooms and a second floor with nine bedrooms.

Each wing of the U-shaped building would provide a nurses’ station, with a dedicated “staff core” in the east section of the second floor.

The design and access statement said: “Large lounges, dining rooms and terraces provide high quality amenity space for all residents’ needs, promoting interaction and a sense of community.

“The design of the care home would look to be in excess of current Care Quality Commission expectations, with bedroom areas of around 16sqm.”

The building would be rendered in red brick with horizontal timber cladding, and include 22 parking spaces and two disabled parking spaces.

There would be electric vehicle charging points on site, as well as staff parking, a delivery area, and a turning space. Developers also proposed 10 covered cycle spaces for both staff and visitor use.

NFDC’s consultation on the proposed development is running until Friday, 25th October.