Plans to open holiday flats, a village shop, a restaurant and cocktail bar, and a fitness suite in a village have been rejected.
In late 2023, a planning application was submitted to repurpose six buildings at Boulevard Care Limited’s Orby branch off Gunby Road, near Skegness, as the company stated it needed to “diversify,” according to its cover letter.
East Lindsey District Council acknowledged that the proposal would bring tourism accommodation and commercial opportunities. However, concerns were raised about the lack of a footway connecting the development to the village of Orby and the impracticality of creating one due to the limited verge width along Gunby Road.
The council feared that pedestrians visiting the site would therefore need to walk along the road, which becomes particularly busy during the summer months, resulting in an “unacceptable” impact on highway safety.
Boulevard Care Orby has provided care services for people with learning disabilities for almost 30 years. However, in 2021, following an extremely long delay, the Care Quality Commission decided not to register the branch, meaning it was no longer deemed suitable accommodation for people with learning disabilities.
The plans aimed to convert the company’s two buildings of training flats and a social block into holiday flats, the office block into a village shop and offices, the entertainment block into a restaurant, café, and cocktail bar, and the education block into a fitness suite, launderette, and ice cream parlour.
A new playground was also proposed south of the existing social block, intended to be open to both guests of the holiday flats and visitors to the other planned facilities.
“The proposed change of use and conversion of the existing buildings to form holiday flats, food and drink facilities, shop, and other amenities will bring vital employment opportunities and tourism to the area, which will boost the local economy whilst also providing the locals with basic facilities currently lacking in the area,” wrote the applicant.
“The varying proposed amenities will also re-introduce a sense of community to the village.
“The proposed holiday flats are well suited to the area with good road links to tourist attractions, both locally and a short drive away in places such as Skegness or the Lincolnshire Wolds.”
The application prompted more than 20 formal objections from local residents, as well as from Orby Parish Council, which also raised concerns about the footpath provision and questioned whether there was adequate parking within the site.
Nevertheless, Boulevard Care Limited insisted that there had never been an issue with footpaths since it began operating at the site in 1995.
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