Plans for a new private healthcare practice to help tackle “shortfalls” in provision in Bath & North East Somerset have been refused for seven reasons.
The application for Barncare Healthcare Centre, just outside Paulton, said it was being developed in collaboration with a group of health professionals from the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
The proposal included removing an existing wooden structure at the site next to Bath Road at Withy Mills to make space for one with a larger footprint and a second storey. It would have three consulting rooms, a reception and a staff area.
Core services being lined up included GP access, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, and mental health counselling. There was also said to be interest in the new centre from professionals from ophthalmology, dentistry, nutrition and dermatology.
The application said there was a clear and growing need for affordable private healthcare in the local area, where NHS services are experiencing significant pressure. It highlighted the 10-20% projected population growth in Paulton and Timsbury not being matched by new healthcare facilities.
The council received 19 objections to the application and 13 comments of support for the new healthcare centre.
Concerns focused on the access, loss of agricultural land, the impact on ecology and that the wider area is already well served by providers including the Sulis Hospital and Bath Clinic, while there are also various private services at Elm Hayes Health Centre in Paulton.
The parish council also questioned the need for a new healthcare centre, and flagged up concerns about the road having no pavement and the nearest bus stop being 800 metres away.
Comments of support included that it would serve as “an innovative example of healthcare provision in a village setting”. It was also noted that “the social and healthcare benefits clearly outweigh any potential concerns”.
In their report B&NES Council planners highlighted “some inaccuracies” in the application, including a lack of walk-in or urgent care centres in Paulton and Timsbury which forces residents to travel to Bath.
“This is incorrect, as Paulton has a minor injuries unit, open seven days a week, as well as out-patient services, X-rays, maternity units and a small in-patient wing.”
The report added that the Clandown rooms at Elm Hayes Surgery provide public and private services.
The seven reasons planners gave for refusing the proposed healthcare facility were:
- The site is remote with limited potential of using active travel or public transport to make most journeys.
- The lack of satisfactory walking and cycling facilities.
- The lack of suitable visibility splays at the access.
- Insufficient evidence to demonstrate that similar healthcare provision nearby would not be prejudiced.
- The application fails to meet Local Plan policy where a significant extension and intensification of the site would be required.
- The proposal doesn’t adequately show a local need and is in an unsustainable location.
- Insufficient information to prove delivery of the required 10% biodiversity net gain (BNG).
