Converting former Bognor care home into HMO ‘would cause parking chaos’

Aldwick House in Nyewood Lanewas closed down in January 2019 by New Century Care due to ‘financial challenges’.

Now developers want to convert the 32-bed nursing home into a 38-bedsit HMO and have applied for planning permission to Arun District Council.

The plans include demolishing the rear conservatory and building a single-storey extension with alterations to side elevations, new roof lights and an extra dormer window.

But Bognor Regis Town Council has objected to the plans and a large number of objections from residents have already been received.

Many letters to Arun describe the ‘nose to tail’ parking in Nyewood Lane and the surrounding roads, with no space for any extra cars.

The town council’s planning committee also highlighted parking as the biggest issue on Wednesday (May 6), with concerns also expressed about highways safety, layout and density, noise pollution, as well as the potential for increased crime.

John Erskine (LDem, Pevensey) said: “The parking is nonexistent around there. I do not see how this would work without causing complete chaos.”

Sandra Daniells (Ind, Pevensey) described the area as ‘already really congested’, with Jeanette Warr (LDem, Hotham) adding: “The parking issue is one of the main reasons. It is chaos in that area and I think it would be a bad move to agree with this application.”

Meanwhile Alison Sharples (Lab, Marine) felt the town needed more larger accommodation and not smaller units.

Of the 38 units, 24 would be for a single person and 14 would be for two people. There would be shower rooms and toilets on each floor.

Each individual unit would have a modern cooker and hub, fridge, sink, worktops and cupboards. A separate laundry room will have a bank of washing machines.

The company behind the plans is Gatwick Bedsits which according to its website provides ‘experienced accommodation for professional tenants’.

The application says the company’s HMOs are primarily aimed at single working adults.

Steve Goodheart (Ind, Hotham), chairman of the planning committee, felt an Arun-wide policy on HMOs were needed to stop locations becoming ‘blighted’ with too many focused in specific areas.

Matt Stanley and Jim Brooks, Arun district councillors for the Marine ward, have both objected to the plans and asked that the application comes before the planning committee. Cllr Stanley labelled West Sussex County Council’s transport assessment ‘transport’.

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