Development Control Words from tonight - no Rock Lyrics this time

The words of my speech to Development Control Committee earlier tonight. The application 14/00178/FULMAJ Pemberton House Farm, Park Hall Road, Charnock Richard, was refused planning permission on the grounds that it is inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

I was allowed 5 minutes, time of speech 4 minutes 54 seconds. No Rock Lyrics this time though I have got some Madonna Lyrics pencilled in for a future Full Council meeting!

"In 1970 a young John Rigby purchased Park Hall from a gentleman called George Few to develop into a restaurant and banqueting venue.

This venture proved rather successful for Mr Rigby and he decided that living close by would be a good thing to do. He bought an old farmhouse just across the road from his much loved Park Hall – Pemberton House Farm.

Over the years the small farmhouse and farm buildings have, as a result of many refused and permitted planning applications and appeals, evolved into the rambling, eccentric, bungalow that stands there today.

This proposal is to demolish all the existing buildings, along with their eccentricity, and replace them with a single large scale development. At the same time there would be a change of use from class C3 (dwelling house) to class C2 a residential institution which covers residential care homes, hospitals, nursing homes, boarding schools, residential colleges and training centres.

In this instance the use, as stated in paragraph 19 of the Design and Access Statement, is for a residential care home, initially concentrating on treating a range of mental health issues.

The decision before members today, is whether the significant scale of the development is appropriate in Chorley’s Green Belt and whether there are any Very Special Circumstances, associated with provision of healthcare, that outweigh the undoubted and significant harm that such a large, rambling, development would have on that Green Belt.

I thank the council officers for, as always, a well-produced and reasoned report. I refer to paragraph 36 of that report in which reference is made to Policy 23 of the Core Strategy, the aim of which is to integrate public health principles and planning to help reduce health inequalities. This aim of integrating planning and health is to be applauded.

The NHS have been consulted on this planning application in order to identify whether there are Very Special Circumstances, that outweigh harm to the Green Belt and to determine whether there is a need for THIS facility in THIS location. The NHS response does not really provide evidence whether there is demand, or not, in this location.

I can help…

…Under a freedom of information request, of the Greater Preston; and Chorley and South Ribble Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS England it has been identified that a range of services already exist that cater for the conditions listed and a variety of specialised community teams are commissioned to deliver provision for people with the conditions referred to in the Design and Access Statement.

NHS England support the CCG approach of providing assertive outreach teams, community mental health teams and crisis teams, on a commissioning basis, to ensure these conditions are professionally and appropriately treated and that there are no waiting lists.

Additionally, data provided by NHS England, from the Health and Social Care Information Centre, Care Quality and Outcomes Framework shows that GP surgeries, local to THIS location achieve 100% in delivering quality care in the treatments proposed and specifically in the treatment of Mental Health.

No patient goes wanting.

Whilst the local NHS response was vague this information, from the CCGs and NHS England is clear, local provision exists and is delivered without failure or waiting. This is unambiguous – Very Special Circumstances, that outweigh harm to the Chorley Green Belt, caused by a development 304% larger than the existing rambling, eccentric bungalow, do not exist.

It is essential that we protect our Green Belt as it is this that, in this instance, safeguards the Chorley countryside from encroachment.

The Design and Access Statement, at Paragraph 17, states that the site is developed and not open now and that the context of the proposed building does not have a greater impact on the openness.

The officers’ report, at paragraph 31, states the proposal results in an increase in volume of 304%. This is a significant increase by any standards and must result in more encroachment that the existing rambling, eccentric bungalow.

Further rambling development, to include the area between the eccentric house, barn and stables will significantly reduce the openness and affect visual amenity not only from Park Hall Road but especially from the tranquil footpath network along Syd Brook and from there out towards and along Chisnall Lane.

For these reasons the development must be inappropriate in the Green Belt.

In Summary:

I urge the committee to accept the officers’ recommendation to refuse planning permission as the proposed change of use, from Dwelling House to Residential Institution, is not accompanied by Very Special Circumstances that outweigh the harm to the openness of the Chorley Green Belt that this extremely large scale, obtrusive, rambling development would cause."