Council for town divided by claims it has 'too many old people' rejects building eighth large care home

A council has today rejected a planning application for an eighth large care home after a row broke out over whether the tiny town has 'too many old people'.Quiet Diss, in Norfolk, already has seven nursing homes and another 23 residential care homes, with a quarter of the town aged 65 or over – the UK average is 19 per cent.Plans to build an eighth nursing home were thrown out today after locals complained that they already had enough accommodation for the elderly.LNT Care Developments, the largest care home provider in the UK, had claimed that its 66-bed home on the site of a former feather pillow factory would be a 'much needed care facility' in the town.But the seven members of Conservative-run South Norfolk Council's development management committee unanimously refused planning consent for the project at their meeting today.The dispute comes at a time when the debate over elderly and social care has been reignited by Prime Minister Andy Burnham's vow to solve the issue. Recent figures show Diss has 9,861 residents, with 2,640 aged over 65.The number of people in South Norfolk aged over 65 increased by 30.1 per cent between 2011 and 2021, according to Office for National Statistics figures.The proposed site for the LNT Care Developments home is surrounded by existing facilities for the elderly - the new proposal has now been rejected The proposed 66-bed care home for dementia patients in Diss, Norfolk, divided opinion Recent figures show Diss has 9,861 residents, with 2,640 aged over 65 - more than a quarter of the total population Rejecting the planning bid, district councillors claimed they had concerns about the size of the proposed three-storey building and feared that nearby homes would be overlooked.Diss Town Council had claimed that the additional care home would create 'an economic and demographic imbalance' and 'stifle economic progress in the town'.It described the design of the proposed building as being 'oppressive and domineering' and 'insensitive to the local townscape'.Local residents also complained that they already had sufficient care homes, with one writing: 'It feels like the town is being made into an old people's town.'Another complained: 'Diss already accommodates several elderly care facilities. A development of this scale risks turning the town into an ageing community, potentially discouraging younger people and families from settling here.'Other objectors included one who warned: 'Diss is tired. I cannot see how this will help commerce and business to give our youngsters reason to stay and thrive in Diss.'Residents who spoke against the plans at today's planning meeting included Tamsin Eddison, who was worried it would mean she lost her privacy at her nearby home.She said: 'Without any doubt this enormous care home would take away our privacy. Every inch of our back garden would be overlooked as well as our lounge, our dining/kitchen area and two main bedrooms.'Ms Eddison claimed that customers at an Aldi store which opened nearby last year could already be seen from her home.The care facility would have been on the site of a feather factory which went into liquidation in 2022 – part of this site has since been converted into the nearby supermarket. She added: 'This proposal is significantly nearer and double the size of the Aldi. It would be out of keeping and set a damning precedent.'Glenn Smith said approving the plans would leave him 'forced to live in a goldfish bowl' at his property, which would also be overshadowed by the proposed care home. Sheila Levitt, 80, pictured with husband Ray, 81, said: 'There's a care home there and the funeral directors across the road. It's all on our doorstep' Former school caretaker Keeley Rose, 55, siad there 'are a lot of old people in Diss' but added: 'I will be one of them eventually'He said the proposed building would be 'out of proportion', block out sunshine and lead to residents living 'behind closed blinds and curtains to maintain any level of privacy'.Mr Smith accused the company behind the scheme as having 'a total disregard' for the wellbeing of neighbours.Tory councillor Graham Minshull, who represents Diss, told today's meeting that there were already 12 to 14 care homes in the Diss area, taking into account facilities with fewer than half a dozen residents each.He insisted that he was not against care homes but he questioned the need for it as a developer who had been given consent to build a facility in another part of Diss had not proceeded due to apparent insufficient demand.Mr Minshull said the proposed new building would also stand alongside an existing care home which was 'half empty', and raised concerns about the number of planned car parking spaces.He admitted he would probably not object if the size of the proposed building was reduced from three storeys to two, but complained that the current plans were 'literally too big and too intrusive'.Another councillor David Bills said he had no problems with the design of the building but believed it was 'in the wrong place' due to the proximity of local homes which would be overlooked.Jo Kemp, an agent acting for LNT Care Developments, claimed there was a need for 156 extra care beds in 'the market catchment area' around the town, and a total of 717 needed in south Norfolk.She told the meeting that windows in the care home would be beyond the legally required minimum distance from nearby homes, and that car parking spaces would be sufficient.Ms Kemp added that the facility would create 50 to 60 jobs and would represent 'a multi-million pound investment in the local economy'.She said the company had already built 260 homes nationwide, and measures would be taken to alleviate any disturbance caused during construction of the proposed building.Prior to the meeting, the Daily Mail spoke to residents in Diss, who were divided over the plans.Sheila Levitt, 80, and her husband Ray, 81, who moved to the town two years ago to be closer to their son, bought a newbuild retirement cottage next to the proposed care home.Mrs Levitt said: 'We could do with some more shops for the younger people. An Aldi supermarket has already been built on part of the site of the former feather factory Rejecting the planning bid, district councillors claimed they had concerns about the size of the proposed three-storey building and feared that nearby homes would be overlooked (Pictured: Diss town centre)'We were laughing after we moved here. There's a care home there and the funeral directors across the road. It's all on our doorstep.'She added: 'Someone came around to show us the plans for the care home. We didn't like it. It looked like a big, square box. The plan looked awful.'Former school caretaker Keeley Rose, 55, who was shopping with her daughter, Brianna, 29, said: 'Both my parents ended up in a care home but you can't blame it on care homes. They [the local authorities] haven't invested in Diss.'The town council is right. There are a lot of old people in Diss and I will be one of them eventually.'Army and RAF veteran Bill Woodley, 87, said: 'There aren't enough care homes and people have to have somewhere to go.'I feel a bit uptight about [the town council's comments]. It's the lack of respect.'Diss Town Council's formal rejection of the scheme in June last year explained members had 'expressed grave concern at the current extensive range of facilities for older people in Diss'.It continued: 'Today there are around a dozen such facilities in Diss providing services across a wide spectrum of care settings ranging from a Nursing Home, Care Homes and numerous residential settings with warden support and communal facilities.'Across the road from the proposed development is Parkside Court providing 41 one and two-bedroom flats, whilst Churchill homes, less than 200 metres along Park Road provides 73 properties (58 apartments and 15 cottages).'De Lucy Care Home operated by Greensleeves provides care home facilities for 60 residents. This is an award-winning service.'Given the density of provision some of which have been referred to, there is concern that the economic and demographic profile of Diss is becoming unbalanced to an extent that will stifle the economic progress of the town.'LNT Care Developments was approached for comment after the council meeting.The company had stated that its planned facility would provide round-the-clock specialist residential and dementia care, while transforming an unused area into a 'state-of-the-art, purpose-built care home'.It had already revised plans following a public backlash, resulting in an increase in parking spaces from 27 to 29 and a pitched roof, instead of a flat one.Diss was listed as part of the Hartismere Hundred of Suffolk in the Domesday Book of 1086 and has several historic buildings, including an early 14th-century parish church and a corn hall from the 1850s, which is still in use.The town was the childhood home of Lord's Cricket Ground founder Thomas Lord and birthplace of PM Harold Wilson's wife, Mary – who lived to the age of 102.Research into care homes has shown the supply of places has failed to keep pace with the growing and ageing UK population.Soaring prices are also forcing care home residents to sell their homes and raid their life savings, despite paying taxes all their lives – leaving loved ones with little to inherit.New prime minister Andy Burnham has vowed to 'go as quickly as he can' to stop the NHS collapsing under the 'broken' social care system.Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am - sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREE.