Residents in Pudsey are stepping up their fight against plans for a new £4 million private residential care home.
The proposals have been submitted on land which used to house the council-run Musgrave Court Care Home, off Crawshaw Road, which was closed and declared surplus to requirements by cash-strapped Leeds City Council almost four years ago.
The home was demolished and the site cleared in summer 2016.
Harrogate-based Angela Swift Developments Ltd says there will be 27 parking spaces and 15 cycle spaces at the new home.
But some residents feel the plans, which were submitted back in May, are over-dominant and would create traffic chaos on an already congested road.
Chris Holgate-Bell, of Salters Garden, said he felt council planning officers had so far failed to take on board the point raised by more than 30 local objections – and called on local councillors to offer greater support to residents’ concerns. He said:
“The sheer volume of the building is a problem – it replaces essentially a single storey care home with 36 residents with a building with a ground floor, first, second and apex and 86 residents. We’re concerned about the loss of light.
“The junction of Radcliffe Lane and Crawshaw Road has poor sightlines, it’s narrow, has a pavement on only one side, pedestrians, mobility scooters and prams are often in the road, and there is already conflicts of this nature when turning into the road.
“It is already dangerous, and this will only get significantly worse. Large vehicles already mount curbs and cut the corner in order to make the turn. “
Fellow Pudsey resident Steve Rudings added:
“Everyone wants a new care home on that site, just not one that size. We keep telling planning officers about highways issues and how the road simply won’t be able to cope with it, but they don’t seem to take on board our comments.
“The only changes to the plans since they were submitted seem to revolve around changing the building materials and that’s it.”
A planning statement by architects ARP Design says the development will be sustainable and within easy distance of buses and Pudsey town centre:
“Unlike many other potential uses for the site, the care home will generate little vehicle traffic. Also the traffic coming to the home is spread over the whole day and throughout the whole week without a rush hour hump. Shifts will be staggered as much as practicable to avoid congestion during changeover periods.”
The new home would create around 80 new full and part-time jobs.
It’s understood proposals could go before Leeds City Council’s south and west plans panel in January. The plans can be viewed here.
The site was sold by Leeds City Council in October 2016. The land sale had the support of Pudsey councillors Mick Coulson, Josie Jarosz and Richard Lewis.