Harrow Council Approves 24-Bed Care Home on Derelict Hatch End Site
Plans for a new 24-bed care home in North London have been given the green light by Harrow Council, despite local concerns that the development may appear out of place on a residential road and potentially block sunlight to neighbouring properties.
Planning Committee Grants Unanimous Approval
At a recent meeting of Harrow Council's Planning Committee on January 21, VAC Care SPK Ltd received permission to construct a two-storey care home facility on Oakleigh Road in Hatch End. The approved scheme involves demolishing the existing derelict building that previously housed Oakleigh House Nursing Home, which closed approximately eight years ago.
Council officers had recommended the application for approval, noting that the development would "positively impact" the street's appearance while providing "good quality care home accommodation." The committee ultimately granted unanimous approval following consideration of both supporting and opposing viewpoints.
Mixed Reactions from Local Residents
The Hatch End Association described the plans as "the best option" for a site that has remained vacant and deteriorating for many years. However, some Oakleigh Road residents expressed concerns about the building's scale and potential impact on their properties.
In formal objections submitted against the application, one resident stated: "We have expressed our concern of this proposal being an overdevelopment with a commercial appearance and not in character with the rest of the street scene. Oakleigh Road has always been a beautiful tree lined avenue and we are concerned that this new proposed development may destroy this extraordinary aesthetic value."
Specific concerns raised included:
- Potential reduction of sunlight reaching existing properties
- Building design appearing incompatible with the residential character of the street
- Impact on the area's established aesthetic value
Developer's Response and Design Amendments
The agent representing VAC Care SPK addressed the committee, explaining that the scheme "was received positively" by residents during multiple engagement events prior to the formal application. They noted that amendments had been made to the initial building design to accommodate concerns raised during the consultation process.
"The applicant would like to assure members that they have spent time over the last 18 months or so looking at the scheme and taking into account neighbours' comments where this has been possible," the representative stated. "The site has been derelict for approximately eight years, is underused, and detracts from the street scene."
Facility Details and Site Transformation
The new care home will feature 24 en-suite bedrooms alongside comprehensive communal facilities including:
- A spacious lounge area for residents
- Dedicated dining facilities
- Specialised treatment rooms
- Modern kitchen and laundry facilities
- Staff accommodation provisions
External amenities will include a substantial garden at the rear of the property and a sunken patio area adjacent to the communal dining room. Council documents described the existing building as having "suffered a degree of neglect and dilapidation" since the former 19-bed nursing home ceased operations, noting it could no longer adequately serve elderly residents' needs due to outdated facilities.
The approval represents a significant step toward addressing care provision needs in the area while transforming a long-vacant site that has negatively affected the local streetscape for nearly a decade.
