Village garden centre to be knocked down and turned into 85-bed retirement village
By Tom Cramp - Local Democracy Reporter 5th Jun 2022
A popular village garden centre could be replaced with an 85-bed retirement village after plans were accepted on appeal.
Wyndley Garden Centre in Knowle now has just three years left before it is torn down and replaced by the facility.
Knowle Care Limited submitted plans in 2020 to replace the Warwick Road business with a retirement community made up of 39 care suites and 46 care apartments.
The application was refused in April 2021 due to its size and the 'inappropriate' use of the green belt, with 733 residents signing the 'Save Wyndley Garden Centre' petition at the end of the year.
However, an appeal, launched in March 2022, has been approved and the scheme given the green light providing that the retirement village 'harmonises' with its surroundings.
The planning inspector's report said the fact that there is not enough retirement housing in the area meant the development was a special circumstance for building in the green belt.
But the rising number of care homes in Solihull is a contentious issue among residents.
In a document that supported the original application, the council identified the need for 469 additional care home spaces in the borough by 2036, whilst Knowle Care Limited argued Solihull could need as many as 2,272 beds in the same period.
There are already eight retirement homes around Knowle.
Meanwhile, the planning inspector who judged the appeal said 27 jobs at the garden centre would be lost as a result of the development. The council did not cite this as a reason for refusal.
Job losses were justified by the creation of '44 full-time equivalent jobs' at the care facility and more during construction. An overall net benefit to the area is predicted within the planning inspector's report.
On-site facilities at the new retirement village will include a gym, hairdressers, private dining room, cafe, arts and crafts studio and a library.
There will also be two allocated electric vehicles and a new car park to provide staff and residents with a 'dedicated and responsive service'.
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