Supported housing plans in Chorley approved
Twenty people with “additional needs” will be accommodated within the scheme
A specialist housing development designed to help disabled people live independently is to be built in Chorley, after councillors rejected claims it could damage local hospitality businesses.
Twenty people with “additional needs” will be accommodated within the scheme on what is currently waste ground off Barnes Wallis Way in Buckshaw Village.
The firm behind the project – which will feature 10 wheelchair-accessible bungalows and a two-storey block of 10 apartments – says it will fulfil an “unmet need” for supported accommodation for individuals with learning and physical disabilities.
However, a meeting of Chorley Council’s planning committee, at which the proposal was approved, heard that the owners of bars and eateries directly opposite the site feared that their operations could end up being curtailed if the occupants of the new estate were disturbed by them.
Joseph Wilson, speaking on behalf of the Home restaurant and bar and The Kitchen Tap, said the presence of the two licensed premises and their “known late-night activity” made the plot an “unsuitable location” for the planned housing.
“These businesses can become particularly busy and social during the summer months and at weekends. This raises significant concerns about the welfare, safety and general wellbeing of the future occupants who may be vulnerable and require a calm and stable environment,” he warned.
The vacant land was earmarked for retail use as part of the original vision for the development of Buckshaw Village, but the committee heard it had lain unused for around 15 years – and that there had been little interest expressed in using the site for that purpose in spite of it being actively marked since 2018.
Buckshaw and Whittle ward councillor Aidy Riggott said that while “the predominant view” in the village was a preference for the initial plans to be realised, it was vital that any alternative “does not negatively impact on…these quite unique and independent food and drink venues that are…a popular part of village life”.
Addressing concerns from local businesses that the description of the proposed development allowed for too broad a range of occupants, Cllr Riggott suggested any permission granted by the committee include a condition limiting future residents to those who are “registered disabled or have been assessed to require care and support to live independently”.
Steve Lomas, from the scheme’s developer Primrose Holdings, said: “The aim of this type of housing is to enable those…with identified needs, such as learning disabilities, autism and physical disability to live in an environment which provides them with the support they need, whilst enabling them to live independently in the community.”
He told the committee that Lancashire County Council, as the social care authority for the area, had advised that the proposed location was “perfect” – and that development would be “one of, if not the, best supported housing scheme” in the county.
Chorley Council’s principal planning officer Iain Crossland said the authority’s environmental health team was satisfied by a noise assessment provided by the applicant that concluded there would be no “adverse impact” on those living in the new housing as a result of the nearby businesses.
Committee member Cllr Katie Wilkie said that Buckshaw Village had “matured beautifully” – and that people enjoyed eating out there.
“Why do we think for one minute that the occupants of supported housing are not part of that community or should not be?” she asked.
Fellow member Cllr Craige Southern said that the land was currently “something of an eyesore” and that the development would provide a service that was not part of the original blueprint for Buckshaw Village.
The committee unanimously approved the plans, including a version of the condition suggested by Cllr Riggott, the exact wording of which will be drawn up by the authority’s planning officers in consultation with the committee’s chair.
Once built, the properties will be operated by a registered housing provider.