August 31, 2022 9.37 am This story is over 34 months old

Care village extension to be built next to former Lincoln car dealership site

The former High Street dealership will be demolished
Visual showing the converted chapel building providing new retirement living accommodation (left) and proposed care home (right). | Photo: Stem Architects Ltd

Plans for what appears to be the “second half” of a new care village in Lincoln are up for approval next Wednesday.

Torsion Care’s proposals to build 25 elderly residential apartments on land around 471-480 High Street will appear before the City of Lincoln Council planning committee where officers are recommending the green light.

In April, plans to demolish the neighbouring former Peugeot dealership and build a 73-room care home, which councillors said felt like “half an application”  were narrowly-approved by two votes.

The latest plans will include the building 20 new residential apartments and the conversion of the existing United Reform Church to form an additional five.

A report before the council said the plans were submitted separately due to funding arrangements, but were hoped to be constructed simultaneously.

The development would be accessed from Cross Street and would include 27 parking spaces.

The scheme has received objections from eight properties with concerns around the impact of traffic and parking, access difficulties, noise, the size of the building, the loss of privacy, light pollution and the impact on wildlife.

The former Abacus Motor Group dealership will be demolished to make way for a care home. | Image: Google

However, officers said: “The development would relate well to the site and surroundings, particularly in relation to siting, height, scale, massing and design.

“The proposals would bring a vacant site back into use and would ensure the character and appearance of the Conservation Area is preserved,” they said.

“Technical matters relating to noise, highways, contamination, archaeology and drainage are to the satisfaction of the relevant consultees and can be dealt with as necessary by condition.”

The applicant will be asked to sign a Section 106 contribution of £127,539 towards local infrastructure and services before it can go ahead.

The figure is down from £647,878.75 following a viability appraisal which showed the figure would render the scheme “unviable”.