'Battery hen' care home plans passed (From Bucks Free Press)

'Battery hen' care home plans passed

4:14pm Monday 10th December 2012 in News By Andy Carswell

A CARE home will be built in Knotty Green despite concerns residents would be packed into it 'like battery hens'.

The plans for a 25 bedroom care home on the site of the former Knotty Green Garage in Penn Road were approved by members of Chiltern District Council's planning committee on Thursday.

However members echoed residents' objections the home is too big for the site and would be too imposing on neighbouring properties.

And Cllr Peter Jones said too many rooms were being crammed into too small a space and questioned the impact this would have on residents of the care home.

He said: "People will be like battery hens - is that part of our plans? It doesn't look like the sort of place we should be allowing.

"It's detrimental to the people who are going to be living there."

Cllr Nigel Shepherd agreed, saying: "The concern I have is the size of the accommodation we are providing these days.

"He [Cllr Jones] is on the right track here. Many of the people will have been living in small accommodation but I really do have concerns it's too much in a little space."

He said having 12 rooms at the home would be better for residents but he added: "Under 12 doesn't make it viable. It does impose the question whether this is a suitable site."

Concerns at the impact on traffic caused by visitors and the lack of parking spaces were also raised.

But Cllr Nik Stewert said the application complied with government policy as enough spaces had been provided.

He added: "This used to be a car sales garage and workshop, although the building doesn't exist anymore. I'd much rather see a rather nice building like this providing a much needed service than a car sales service."

The plans were passed by six votes to four.