Bedsit plan for Cowling nursing home is turned down by inspector (From Craven Herald)

Bedsit plan for Cowling nursing home is turned down by inspector

9:00am Friday 1st March 2013 in News

Plans to turn a former dilapidated nursing home in Cowling into bedsits for “nurses and teachers” have been rejected by a government planning inspector.

The conversion of the former Langdale Nursing Home, next to the High Adventure outdoors pursuits centre, would be inappropriate and generate noise, disturbance and extra traffic, concluded inspector Harold Stephens from the Planning Inspectorate.

“The overall result would be a discordant development significantly harmful to the character and appearance of the street scene,” he added.

Ward councillor Ady Green said he was very pleased with the result which he said would be welcomed by villagers.

“It shows that the council’s planning committee made the right decision.

“This was something that I felt very strongly about and I welcome the fact that the government inspector felt the same way,” he said.

“Especially with High Adventure next door, this was the wrong application in the wrong place.”

Tariq Majeed appealed to the Planning Inspectorate in November after Craven District Council failed to determine his application within the given time.

Although the decision was taken out of its hands, the council’s planning committee went against the advice of its officers and narrowly refused the application.

In his appeal, Mr Majeed claimed that the mainly single storey building had been broken into three times since it became empty, had been subject to illegal fly tipping and was now an eyesore.

His plan was to turn it into multiple occupancy with up to 17 tenants, typically nurses and teachers, and a caretaker living on site.

But in his decision report, Mr Stephens said the change of use would be likely to result in a significant increase in noise and general activity including slamming doors, engine noise, loud music and “inconsiderate conversations late at night”.

He said he had noted that the highways authority had raised no objections to the scheme, but believed the area was already busy with traffic because of the High Adventure centre next door.

Mr Stephens also took into account fears that occupants of the bedsits would be transient individuals or couples who would add nothing to the life of the village.

He added: “The limited information submitted as to how the premises would be occupied and managed fails to demonstrate that the concerns of the community would be properly addressed,” he said.