WORK could soon start on the construction of more than 70 homes on a former care home site in Monk Bretton should a lawful development certificate be granted.
Outline planning permission was granted to demolish the Belmont facility, off Lamb Lane, Monk Bretton, and replace it with a residential development of up to 82 homes in 2021.
The building was erected in the late 1960s and it was originally used as a residential facility for elderly people but in June 1999, Barnsley Council’s asylum and migration service welcomed 180 humanitarian evacuees from Kosovo to the facility which was then called Belmont Induction Centre.
Its last use was as a care home but since its closure several years ago, it’s been a priority patrol spot for police officers responsible for the area due to long-running complaints from councillors and residents.
Demolition work began in 2021, but was completed in 2022 with the site now empty.
A total of 72 dwellings are planned to be built on the site - despite a total of 11 letters of objection sent to the council regarding the development.
The main grounds of concern included an impact on drainage, reduced highway safety and a negative impact on the neighbouring listed buildings.
A planning application seeking a lawful development certificate has now been submitted to the council, with a report seeking confirmation that the original demolition was lawful.
A report states: “The applicant submits that the demolition of the former Belmont Care Home and Garden House Farm buildings constitutes lawful implementation of the outline permission because the demolition works are a material operation under section 56(4)(aa) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, being ‘works of demolition of a building’, and are comprised in the development as expressly described in the permission.
“The demolition works are plainly more than de minimis, involving the complete demolition of two building complexes over a 12-week structured programme, as acknowledged by the local planning authority in the officer report for 2022/0663.
“The demolition works were carried out in accordance with the outline permission, which expressly included demolition in the description of development and contained carve-outs in five conditions permitting demolition to proceed ahead of their discharge.
“The demolition works were not carried out in contravention of any planning condition: the five conditions with demolition carve-outs do not apply to demolition and the one condition which expressly captures demolition was discharged prior to the works.
The applicant therefore respectfully requests that a CLEUD be granted confirming that the demolition works have lawfully implemented the outline permission and that the development may proceed in accordance with the outline permission and the reserved matters approval, subject to compliance with all remaining planning conditions.”
Should it be approved, work to build the 72 properties would be able to start four years after the original structure was demolished.
A target decision date has been set by the council for early July.
