Plans to redevelop vacant Worthing care home site

The former Sussex Clinic, a 40-bed residential care home in Shelley Road, consists of linked late Victorian/Edwardian villas.

South Coast Nursing Homes Ltd, which runs a number of care homes in the town including Berkley Lodge immediately to the east, wants permission to knock down the existing buildings and construct a 50-bed care home.

The building would have a T-shaped footprint with a pair of ‘replica’ Victorian villas fronting Shelley Road, a contemporary glazed link between incorporating the main entrance and a two-storey wing extending northwards to the rear.

The proposed buildings would be attached to Berkeley Lodge by a single-storey glazed corridor at the front and a linking structure from the rear wing.

In addition to the new residential rooms, the new facility would include a kitchen, residents’ cafe, entertainment area, salon, library/lounge, lounge/dining area, staff rooms, offices, nurse stations, stores, and a further library and lounge/dining room on the first floor.

A detached conservatory/orangery building is proposed in the north-west part of the garden.

A total of 17 car parking spaces would be provided at the front of the site served by three access points from Shelley Road.

The application described how the existing facility was ‘outdated’ and in need of replacing.

It added: “The applicants intention is to create a modern care home that expands the existing site to create the largest care home in the area. The emphasise has been on a producing a high quality environment that improves the residents experience. This has been achieved through a close working relationship with the applicant and council to ensure the design achieves everyone’s ambition.”

Council officers are recommending approval subject to conditions.

A total of 46 objections have been received from neighbouring residents.

They have raised concerns about the number of trees on site due to be felled, loss of privacy and overlooking, overdevelopment and the potential for disturbance during construction.

One objector said: “I object most strongly to the proposed loss of trees. I am baffled when so much is known about the importance of preserving our natural environment. It beggars belief that such action is even being considered.”

According to officers the landscape proposals as originally submitted involved the loss of 47 existing trees, but including planting 51 new trees to mitigate the loss.

The majority of the tree loss in the rear garden is necessary to physically accommodate the proposed new building.

But the applicant now proposes to retain five of the existing trees on the Shelley Road frontage as well as replacing the two that would be lost with higher quality specimens.

The parking layout has also been revised to include two new planting beds with box hedging between the bays and scope to plant another two trees.

A further two trees are proposed within a small linear group along the eastern boundary with Berkeley Lodge.

Officers said: “It is considered the applicant has made an appropriate response to the concerns raised by third parties, which enables more existing trees on the site to be retained.”