Opposition to plans for 14 homes at old hospital (From Cotswold Journal)

Opposition to plans for 14 homes at old hospital

8:00am Friday 1st March 2013 in News

PLANS to build 14 new homes on the site of an historic building in Chipping Norton have failed to find favour with the town council.

London developer St Charles Homes has submitted plans to demolish the town’s old hospital building, in Over Norton Road, to make way for two and threestorey homes and 31 car parking spaces.

The building was originally built as a war memorial hospital at the end of the First World War and has been empty since 2011.

Town councillors voted to oppose the application at their last meeting because they felt the plans had changed too much from the original proposals showcased at a public consultation last September.

Members have asked the developer to withdraw the application and change the design to include 10 community parking spaces.

Councillor Alex Corfield said: “It’s a very important site for Chipping Norton.

They’ve changed the thing they submitted to us in the first place.

“The planning officer told them to do two-storey.

They’ve made them three.

It’s wholly unacceptable. If you put these properties above three storeys they will tower over Spring Street.”

Coun Jo Graves said: “It would appear there’s a detailed change from what was presented to us when I was quite enthusiastic about low-level housing.”

Coun Don Davidson said: “It would be totally out of keeping in Spring Street and really would dwarf the terraces.

It’s totally inappropriate.”

In their design and access statement the developer said: “Issues raised during planning consultation with the local authority have been reflected in a change of approach to several elements of the design. There is an identified need for new family homes in the area and, being so close to the town centre, the site offers an ideal opportunity to further develop a sustainable community at the heart of Chipping Norton.”

West Oxfordshire District Council is currently considering the plans. For details visit westoxon.gov.uk 􀁥 The new Chipping Norton War Memorial Community Hospital, in Rockhill Road, opened in March 2011.

􀁥 The old ambulance station, care home and Chestnuts House, owned by Oxfordshire County Council next to the old hospital, have been derelict for a decade and are also due to be sold.