Bid to build care home on old Walsall football ground fails for the second time
A bid to build a new 66-bed care home on an old Walsall football ground has failed for the second time in less than a year.
LNT Care Developments Ltd had wanted to take over the former Pelsall Villa Football Club on Walsall Road and erect the new facility there.
The developer said the home would have provided between 50 and 60 jobs as well as providing a much needed service for the community.
But planning officers rejected the proposal citing a number of reasons including the impact on highways safety and a failure to mitigate for the loss of a sports pitch.
They were also concerned about it not integrating with surrounding streets and the Pelsall Common Conservation Area and the loss of hedgerow in Bush Grove.
In December last year, a proposal to build a new Aldi store and a care home on the site of Pelsall Villa and the neighbouring Bush Inn public house was rejected by Walsall Council’s planning committee.
In their application, LNT Care Developments said: “The development of the site is required to provide a modern compliant care home to meet current government standards.
“It is anticipated that some 50-60 jobs would be created working to a rotational shift pattern of employment, however, only up to a maximum of 24 members of staff would be present on site at any one time, due to the shift pattern and staggered shift changes that would occur.
“The proposed development would be very much a local community facility.
“Residents of the home would be expected to emanate from an area no more than three miles from the site or be associated with families/relatives that reside within this same catchment.
“The majority of the jobs created at the care home would also be expected to be filled by suitable candidates from the same local area.
“The proposed care home would provide an important local support service and offer high quality care accommodation outside the local authority and primary care trust services and functions.”
