Ashbourne: Noise and smell concerns over proposed care home

The proposed care home would be between the A52 and an industrial site

Plans for a new care home in a Derbyshire town are set to be rejected because of concerns it will be exposed to "significant" risk of noise and smell issues.

Muller Property group wants to build the 74-bed complex near the A52 Derby Road in Ashbourne.

But council officers are concerned the home would be sandwiched between the main road and an industrial estate.

The firm said acoustic barriers would be used to limit noise.

Muller also said, in a planning application lodged with Derbyshire Dales District Council, that the odour from the nearby airfield industrial estate would have a "negligible and medium" impact on residents in the home.

However, the authority's planning committee has been advised to refuse permission for the scheme when it meets on 20 February.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said the council's environmental health team had warned the potential impact of noise and odour for residents was "significant".

'Odours present'

In a report, the team said: "Whilst it is appreciated the developer has submitted reports mitigating or dismissing the impact odour and noise, this in no means is entirely the case. 

"A visit was made to the site and the noise from the road is significant, such that a closed window system has been proposed for a significant proportion of the building.

"The appropriateness of this in a care setting is debatable. 

"There were also odours present from the industrial estate that are also not compatible with this use."

The applicant said 2m (6.6ft) high acoustic barriers would be built along the site's border with the industrial estate to limit noise.

The company said the home would provide new jobs but has not detailed how many.