Plans for community healthcare services at Saxon House still recommended for refusal

The future of community healthcare services in Bury St Edmunds hangs in the balance, with a planning decision set to be made next week.

Suffolk Community Healthcare wants to share Saxon House, in Hillside Road, with Community Dental Services (CDS) – which was granted planning permission for a dental clinic in January – after both operators lost their home at Blomfield House, Looms Lane, last October.

At St Edmundsbury Borough Council’s development control committee meeting on September 6, members were minded to approve the application in light of the service it would provide.

As approval would go against the officer recommendation the ‘risk assessment protocol’ was invoked and additional reports prepared ahead of Thursday’s committee meeting. However, officers still recommend the application is refused, due to:

n Community use in an inaccessible location

n Insufficient parking and impact on highway safety

n Knock-on effects on adjacent sites

“The provision of space and the need for suitable premises are factors which weigh in favour of the proposal. However, the policy conflict and harm identified, together with the inaccessible location and adverse effect on highway safety, significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits,” said the report.

It added that if councillors approve the plans ‘they must be satisfied that any risks associated with doing so have been properly considered’.

Health chiefs have warned ‘vital’ community healthcare services could be lost if the plans do not go ahead.