Extending street's third care home would be 'intolerable' residents claim

Residents had previously submitted photographic evidence of a “constant stream of delivery vans, ambulances and hearses” blocking the road

Controversial plans to extend a dementia facility in a street with three care homes already were rejected after residents said “enough is enough”.

Glenview Nursing Home is in Belvedere Road in Redland.

Care provider Meadowcare Homes wanted to add 17 bedrooms to the 40-bed facility by converting three flats in a building next door.

But the road contains two other care homes as well and residents said extending the third would make their lives “intolerable”.

Councillors voted eight to one to refuse planning permission on Wednesday (May 27) on the grounds the extra care beds would worsen parking and traffic issues and result in too many care homes on the street.

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They had previously deferred their decision, and asked officers to check that their reasons for refusal were legally watertight and would withstand an appeal from the developer.

The officers, who originally recommended the application for approval, came back with a new recommendation to refuse it on parking grounds having found “errors” in the information supplied by Meadowcare.

Residents had previously submitted photographic evidence of a “constant stream of delivery vans, ambulances and hearses” blocking Belvedere Road due to a lack of available parking.

An officer told the council’s development control committee: “We conclude that the proposed development would result in an unacceptable increase on the demand for parking, leading to inappropriate on-street parking activities, safety concerns and potentially the obstruction of access to private driveways.

“Members may also wish to consider issues of overconcentration on the grounds of mix and balance, and harm to residential amenity.”

Bristol City Council received a total of 35 objections to Meadowcare's plans and one comment in support.

Marc Willis, who spoke on behalf of Meadowcare, said: “We don’t dispute that local residents are frustrated with parking issues, but the future occupiers of the care home, they’re Bristol residents too, they’re among the most vulnerable people in the city, and their voice needs to be heard.”

Resident Samantha Mant said the care home extension would make the parking issues “much worse” and make “living along Belvedere Road really intolerable and unsafe”.

Laura McEwan, who has three children, said the road was already “extremely dangerous” because cars, delivery vans and ambulances were “endlessly circling” looking for a place to park.

“Enough is enough,” she said.

The council’s development control B committee was held remotely on Zoom.

Members heard that 29 per cent of the buildings on Belvedere Road were care homes.

Residents claimed that more 50 per cent of people living in the street were are home patients.

Councillor Harriet Bradley said patients were "monopolising too much of the street".