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Councillor hits out at plans for Drover's
PLANS to turn a Gainsborough pub into a residential care home will cause chaos for motorists, warns one councillor on the district planning committee.
Members of West Lindsey Council’s planning committee approved proposals to convert the Drover’s Call on Lea Road into a care home for up to 60 elderly residents last Wednesday, after initial fears the development would cause parking difficulties.
But Conservative Coun Chris Underwood-Frost, who voted solo against the plans, said the home, which would be placed between two ‘pinch points’ of road markings, warns the plans will cause bedlam as cars overflow out of the marked parking spaces and onto the road itself.
”I personally believe Highways hasn’t taken it seriously enough to look at the highways structure,” he said.
”There’s going to be significant problems with people parking on that main road.”
Coun Frost’s concerns stemmed from a problem of numbers – 18 parking spaces would be provided in a development designed to support 60 residents and 16 staff.
Coun Malcolm Leaning also questioned the ease in which families could visit their relatives at the home, and suggested dedicated bays.
”With only 18 parking spaces, could five or six not be marked out for visitors?” he said.
”I know in a year or two people would ignore that, but at least it would send the message out.”
Following these concerns, the application was granted with the condition that nine bays towards the front of the building be allocated for visitors only.
Coun Judy Rainforth initially shared Coun Frost’s concerns about the parking, before the conditions were added to the approval, but also added that the development was not without its merits.
”On principle, I don’t think I have anything against this – my main problem with it is parking,” she said.
”Lea Road is notoriously bad for parking.”
”It is going to tidy the area up, because Drover’s really looks a mess at the moment,” she added.
Meanwhile, committee chairman Bernard Theobald defended the proposal, saying that the care of the elderly was a bigger priority than the parking concerns.
”To refuse it on the basis that car parking is more important than the care of the elderly would be a mistake,” he said.
”Care for the elderly is something I feel we all need in any settlement of any size.”
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Weather for Gainsborough
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
