Developer to appeal decision on Nottinghamshire nursing home that's stood empty for years

Plans for converting Ernehale Lodge Nursing Home in Furlong Street into apartments were thrown out by Gedling Borough Council’s Planning Committee last Thursday (September 26).

The nursing home has been vacant since 2021, with the proposed development planning to turn the 21-bedroom site into 19 self-contained apartments.

Plans included one studio flat, along with 12 one-bed and six two-bed apartments.

The application was rejected on the basis of limited car parking spaces, as it proposes 13 spaces, short of the council’s requirement for 16.

The council has its parking provision for planning applications contained in a 2022 document titled ‘Parking Provision for Residential Development’.

It outlines that one and two-bedroom apartments in an urban area require 0.8 unallocated spaces per residence, where the rounded up figure for the rejected flats required 16 spaces.

Within this document, it also states that if a development has one or more nearby public transport links then a reduced number of spaces can be accepted, offering a workaround for applicants.

Applicant Waseem Shafiq, speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) today,  said he was disappointed in the refusal.

He said: “The councillors who opposed the scheme failed to take into account that the site is served by nine regular public transport services, not just one, and is situated less than a minute from Arnold town centre.

“We are now considering the option to appeal, as we believe the decision was unreasonable- it raises the question of the purpose of having policies if they are not to be adhered to.”

In March this year, a 51-apartment retirement living development in Daybrook was approved by the council with just 20 parking spaces, including two disabled spaces.

While it was noted that such residences do not generally require ample parking, it was 21 spaces short of the council’s own policy, citing easy access to public transport links.

Mr Shafiq added: “The inconsistent approach taken by the planning committee in determining planning applications is a cause for concern.”

Councillor Sam Smith (Con), speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service today (September 30) welcomed the brownfield site being developed on but called the parking workaround “nonsense”.

He said: “When [residential agents] are showing people around, you cannot restrict who moves in- ‘you can only move in if you catch the bus’- visitors come with cars, deliveries on wheels, it’s about time we took that line out the policy.

“It’s costing the tax payer, you build it, you know it hasn’t got the spaces, then residents write to the council asking for permits.

“These [applications] keep falling through the cracks- bring it back with more car parking.”

Some residents neighbouring the old nursing home raised objections to the proposed development.

Planning documents say: “Many residential properties along James Street and Furlong Street are 19th Century terraced properties which are high density and have no on-site car parking.

“Due to its close proximity to Arnold Town Centre, neighbour objectors state that visitors to the town centre often park on these residential streets where there are no parking restrictions.”