3 weeks Ago
A woman fears she will not be able to keep her elderly father safe after a proposed extension to her home was blocked by council planners. Susan Scott, 66, lives in a former farmhouse in Doffcocker, where she takes care of her 94-year-old father. He currently lives in a flat above the garage, which is not connected to the main house, but Mrs Scott says his needs are increasing.
She said that he had recently had a stroke and was falling more often. Susan Scott (Image: Susan Scott) She submitted plans for an extension to the main house, so she would be able to care for him in the same building, and install an elevator to give him easier access. The extension would have also allowed the ensuite to accommodate for disabled access as the current shower is too narrow.
Speaking in support of her application at a planning committee meeting, she said: “I just can’t keep him safe in a different building. “I’m well-qualified to care for him, keep him safe and ensure his final years are fulfilling, dignified and filled with love. “The only person who will suffer if this application fails will be my dad, which would be an absolute tragedy.
” The extension would have added a first floor above the smaller section of the house (Image: Susan Scott) Cllr Robert Morrisey recommended that the application be refused. Speaking at the committee, he said: “I think this is a really difficult application. “Firstly, any extension with medical need as the core driver is always very sensitive and I can completely understand the motivation of the applicant.
“However, when you look at the green belt policy, it quite clearly either way doesn't comply.” Cllr Anne Galloway spoke in favour of the application being approved. She said: “I'm very much influenced by the fact it does not increase the footprint.
“The extension is going to be really quite small, it's just one room. “I walked around it and that building is shielded by trees and what you notice in that enclave is the huge barn. “You can hardly make out the farmhouse.
” However, the planning committee rejected the application. The planning officer in charge of the case had recommended it for refusal because of the home’s location on the green belt. They said the extension would result in “disproportionate additions over and above the size of the original building” when past extensions are taken into account.
They also said that the council’s design and heritage officer said that the extension would “create an alien feature on the building” with “a lower eaves line and front and rear dormers”. After the meeting, Mrs Scott said she thought that her father’s caring needs should have been given greater weight. She said: “I think that special consideration should be given for caring for our elderly relatives.
” Plans submitted for the extension (Image: Bolton Council) Have a story? Get in touch at [email protected].
uk Mrs Scott said that one in five of care homes have been rated as "inadequate" or "needs improvement". She said: “Being taken care of by family is definitely the better option. “My dad is quite deaf as well and he never hears anybody else so I have to repeat everything to him.
“He wouldn’t be able to understand other people. “It’s just not a nice life waiting for somebody to come and talk to you, come and take you for a meal, come and take you to the toilet..
.” Mrs Scott, who has 14 years of experience of managing a care home, said that the problem is “time critical” because her father’s needs are increasing. She said: “This tiny extension isn’t going to cause harm to the green belt – but what it is going to do is help to provide care for my father.
“It’s not a rural farmhouse anymore, this area is wholly domesticated. “This one thing is so small – does it do more harm than good?” READ MORE: Meeting hears about Bolton's pressing need for houses READ MORE: Grand opening for pocket park on Cheadle Square, Bolton READ MORE: Bolton Council Dentdale Close, Lostock access plan halted Bolton Council stated in their decision: “The proposed development by virtue of its scale represents inappropriate development within the green belt. “The personal circumstances provided by the applicant are not considered to clearly outweigh the harm that would be caused to the green belt.
” Mrs Scott said she will not be appealing the planning decision due to the length of time it could take and will look at alternative options..
