National planning consultancy Boyer (part of Leaders Romans Group) has secured a resolution to grant planning permission on behalf of Mercian Developments for 68 bedroom care home with associated landscaping, parking and staff facilities on land at Comeytrowe, Taunton. The resolution was unanimously approved by Somerset West and Taunton Council.
In preparing the proposals, Mercian Developments and Boyer engaged with the parish councils and the Somerset West and Taunton Council’s Quality Review Panel in addition to planning officers. Following discussions and design revisions, the application received full support from Trull Parish, Comeytrowe Parish and Bishop Hull Parish Councils.
The care home will be situated within Orchard Grove’s Western Neighbourhood, on a 0.58 hectare site. Orchard Grove will be a new garden community of 2,000 homes and an array of amenities set within two neighbourhoods and abundant green space. The Western Neighbourhood, a residential and mixed-use urban extension at Comeytrowe/Trull, had previously been granted outline planning permission with all matters reserved (except access).
The care home will provide high-quality care, with fully en-suite bedrooms together with excellent communal and amenity spaces for residents to enjoy, including secure landscaped grounds, located alongside a new civic square which will become a focal point for the Comeytrowe development.
The state-of-the-art new facility will be operated by a specialist care operator to provide dementia, residential and respite care for the elderly residents of Taunton.
In addition to meeting the design and operational standards of the Care Quality Commission, the new care home will significantly exceed building regulation standards through the improved building insulation, PV roof panels, an air source heat pump and electric charging points.
The care home is in an attractive position, with Blackdown Hills AONB located approximately 2.5 miles to the south of the site, which also sits on the periphery of the Stonegallows Ridge Special Landscape Feature.
Lawrence Turner in Boyer’s Bristol office said, ‘We are delighted to have enabled the planning consent for this much needed specialist and high-quality care home accommodation. In addition to exceeding sustainability requirements, the application proposal will also bring a significant boost to the local community through the creation of approximately 100 permanent jobs.’
Chris Towers of Mercian said, ‘We are delighted to be progressing this scheme and look forward to delivering Taunton’s first new build care home in over a decade, and we will be embracing the new ESG guidelines with a fully electric home .”
Construction is due to commence on site later this year.
In achieving planning success, Boyer worked alongside KWL Archtiects, TPM Landscape, Envision Sustainability and Energy and EDP.
