Yet another planning application has been made to convert a former Scunthorpe care home into a guesthouse, or hotel.
Grafton House Care Home in Ashby Road shut three years ago, after an ‘inadequate’ Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection rating. Twice before applications have been made to change its use to a guesthouse or hotel. The plans have twice been rejected by North Lincolnshire councillors.
Last time, it went to appeal and the planning inspectorate decided in July to uphold the refusal decision. But this time, the application goes to considerable lengths to argue previous reasons for refusal are not valid anymore.
Read More:
The last refused application sought permission for a guesthouse with 13 bedrooms, and a manager’s flat, with 17 car parking spaces. The latest application is only for a change of use. It does not specify possible internal alterations. When operational, Grafton House provided accommodation for up to 24 people.
It was refused by councillors last time on highways and loss of community use grounds. The planning inspectorate found change of use to a hotel would not be prejudicial to highway safety, and there was adequate space for service and delivery vehicles. But the loss of community use grounds for refusal was upheld, despite the care home closing its doors in 2021.
Documents detail that the site has been marketed since August 2023, including for possible community use. There have been no takers for a community use. An “alternative provision” document uses carehome.co.uk February 2024 data and a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the council to assert there is already a surplus of care home provision locally. The FOI council response was that there are 858 used and 158 unused care home beds in the Scunthorpe area.
An “adequate provision” document then picks apart Grafton House itself and its current suitability as a care setting. Particular attention is paid to drawbacks on accessibility, and five rooms are found to be below CQC requirements to be single rooms in a care home.
A planning statement by Yimby Limited on behalf of the applicant concludes: “This submission, without requirement to do both demonstrates: There is no longer a need for the land or building in any form of community use and there is an acceptable alternative means of meeting such need in the area.”
Want to sign up to the Scunthorpe newsletter, but can’t access the link below? Click here .
More than half a dozen objectors have already voiced their concerns. Traffic concerns feature in several, as do worries of possible anti-social behaviour associated with guests. The public have until March 25 to comment on the application.
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
