Agenda item

To determine the application.

Hayleigh Parker-Haines presented the report to members and informed members that Anglian Water has responded today confirming that they are satisfied the surface water hierarchy has been complied with and, therefore, this application is now recommended for approval subject to the conditions contained within report.

Members received a presentation, in accordance with the public participation procedure, from Alastair Close, the agent. Mr Close stated that he is delighted that, after many months of working closely with officers, the application is recommended for approval. He commended the officers for the comprehensive report as well as their diligence throughout this process which has led to the recommendation.

Mr Close made the point that Nene Waterfront is a major regeneration opportunity, with outline planning permission being approved in 2023 for five plots and these comprise of a mix of residential, commercial and a care home, with this application relating to Plot 5 and will deliver an extra care home with 70 apartments in line with the outline permission. He stated that Fenland Extra Care Consortium, the applicants, is a partnership between Bemore, Seafield Construction and Pinnacle Care Group, industry leaders in both delivery and operation of state of the art care facilities, with the consortium working closely with Fenland Future Ltd, Cambridgeshire County Council and Homes England and all of these stakeholders are fully supportive of the much needed care accommodation being created.

Mr Close stated that the apartments will be for over 55’s who require an element of care, they will be able to live independently but with the added security of access to professional care on site and the homes will also be fully adaptable so they can respond to evolving care needs and residents will have access to shared communal amenities. He made the point that 100% of the units will be affordable and are subject to nomination rights and the building will also be partially funded by a Homes England grant to support the affordability for residents.

Mr Close expressed the opinion that local needs data confirms considerable demand for this type of accommodation and it will be similar to the successful facilities in Whittlesey and Doddington, being the first of this quality in Wisbech. He expressed the view that 25 new jobs will be created on site with many more opportunities during the construction phase.

Mr Close stated that the building has been designed to embrace its waterfront setting, two wings extend towards the River Nene which both maximises views for residents as well as helping to create light and airy living space. He feels the share central amenity area links directly to the waterfront promenade to generate interest and activity and the façade of the building will be predominantly finished in brick work to respect the local character, and this will be patterned across the various facades to add interest and where practical there are also areas of green roof.

Mr Close continued that the building is set within structured landscaping, which includes native planting and there will be 24 dedicated parking spaces as well as internal space for mobility scooters. He added that the building has been designed so that all sensitive accommodation, ie living space, is outside of the flood zone and his team has worked closely with Anglian Water and the Environment Agency to ensure that all flooding and drainage arrangements are fully compliant and as officers have confirmed this is now agreed.

Mr Close stated that all other matters are confirmed as being acceptable and he hopes it is clear that the proposal has been carefully designed to meet both residents needs and respect the local setting, and he looks forward to working in continued partnership to deliver this exciting scheme and breathe new life into this site. He asked members to support the officer’s recommendation.  

Members asked questions of Mr Close as follows:

·       Councillor Marks referred to the mention of 25 jobs on site and asked if they were live in jobs? Mr Close responded that some may be, but staff tend to work on a rotation basis and Pinnacle find that 50% of their staff live within 5 miles of the site and 70% within 10 miles so mostly they will be local positions. Councillor Marks asked that they are to look after the residents? Mr Close responded it will be a mix, care home staff to look after the residents, on-site management and maintenance staff for the operational side.

Members asked officers questions as follows:

·       Councillor Marks asked how many ground floor flats there are? Hayleigh Parker-Haines responded that there is no residential accommodation at ground floor, it is at podium level elevated from the ground floor like a mezzanine, which is to overcome the flood risk being 0.5 metres from the ground floor.

Members made comments, asked questions and received responses as follows:

·       Councillor Mrs French expressed the opinion that it is an excellent application, and she thinks Wisbech people and the Town Council will be pleased to see it, with the site being derelict for many years.

·       Councillor Meekins expressed the view that it is a welcome application, it is in his ward and the whole site has been an eyesore for too long. He stated that his experience of care homes is that the grounds are well maintained and staff are on site to look after residents so there are no problems with anti-social behaviour, with it also being right next to the Police Station.

·       Councillor Marks stated he fully supports the proposal, it is nice to hear there are going to be at least 20 workers on site, but his only concern is with the flood risk that exists but sensibly no ground floor accommodation is proposed.

·       Councillor Meekins stated, in relation to the flood risk, there is a flood wall right in front of this site and gates and it is supposed to be a one in a thousand-year event so does not feel it is a risk.

·       Councillor Marks agreed it can be mitigated by flood walls/gates but flood risk is brought up regularly as an issue.

·       Matthew Leigh made the point that this is a Reserved Matters application, so the Council has already accepted the principle of development of the site in a flood zone.

Proposed by Councillor Meekins, seconded by Councillor Mrs French and agreed that the application be GRANTED as per the officer’s recommendation.

(Councillor Benney declared that he was on the Investment Board when this proposal initially came forward, and took no part in the discussion and voting thereon)

(Councillor Imafidon declared that he is part of Fenland Future Ltd and took no part in the discussion and voting thereon. He further declared, in accordance with Paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct on Planning Matters, that he is a member of Wisbech Town Council but takes no part in planning)

(Councillor Meekins declared, in accordance with Paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct on Planning Matters, that he is a member of Wisbech Town Council but takes no part in planning)