Spruce Town Planning successfully overturned a refusal of planning permission for the extension of a care home in Ferndown at appeal. The application proposed a two storey extension to the care home to create additional bedrooms. The Local Planning Authority had refused planning permission citing that the extension would be incompatible with an extant planning permission for a new block of flats on the adjacent site. Spruce Town Planning argued that the permission for the flats was close to expiry and with no signs of imminent implementation it could not be assumed that the flats would eventually be constructed. The Inspector agreed, concluding that he could only afford the extant planning permission very limited weight. The Inspector also agreed that the extension would provide appropriate amenity for residents, and gave weight to the benefits of the scheme in terms of additional specialist care accommodation. The appeal was therefore allowed.
