New housing estate on former Barnsley care home site given go-ahead

Barnsley Council’s planning board yesterday (April 18) approved plans for 72 new homes on the site of the former Belmont Care Home in Monk Bretton.

Belmont Care Home was demolished last August to make way for the homes, after standing empty for eight years and being targeted by vandals.

The original care home was built in the late 1960’s, and in 1999 was used to house 180 evacuees from Kosovo.

The homes on the site will be made up of apartments and two to four bedroom houses.

Outline plans were given the go-ahead in 2019.

Eleven objections to the plans have been received, on the grounds of loss of privacy, increased traffic and on street parking, highway safety, and increased pollution.

A total of £400,000 would be required from the developers to fund school places – 15 primary and 10 secondary places.

A contribution of £121,409 would also be required for off site public open space enhancements.

During yesterday’s planning meeting, councillor Sarah Tattersall said she would have ‘preferred to see bungalows on the site,’ adding that “I can’t see how they’d get 72 houses on there, it’s going to be really tight”.

Planning officers confirmed that the number of homes has been reduced from 76 to 72 during the application process.

However, chair of the board, councillor Ken Richardson, said the scheme would be a “big improvement,” and the plans were approved unanimously.