Social Services and Health Infrastructure
10.33 The Council is committed to achieving the best quality of life that can be attained for all. To accomplish this objective, it has to be able to react to the needs and aspirations of all groups and individuals and to react to the changing structure and character of the population. The Council has prepared a Community Care Plan, which states that “users of our services are first and foremost. They have the same values, rights and responsibilities as anybody else. Services should be aimed at giving them as ordinary a life as possible by giving them support, guidance, and information to promote their independence”. Those who require these forms of support are children, those with physical and sensory disabilities, those with learning difficulties and those with mental health problems. The UDP can assist in meeting the priorities of service providers by ensuring an adequate supply of land and criteria by which applications for planning permission will be assessed.
10.34 There is a determined effort to provide domestic scale accommodation within communities in order that residents might live as ordinary a life as possible, rather than relying on larger scale collective accommodation as in the past. However, appropriate accommodation and facilities will be required for those receiving care and their carers. The following Policy will therefore apply:-
Policy CF 7
Collective Needs Accommodation and Residential/Nursing Homes
Proposals for collective accommodation for special needs groups or for formal Residential or Nursing Homes, will be permitted where they meet the following criteria:-- the development is located, where appropriate, within an existing urban or housing area where there are facilities easily accessible to residents, including provision of shops, post offices, other social infrastructure, and good quality public transport;
- the development does not contribute to an overconcentration of these facilities in order to ensure that the residential character of the area is not compromised;
- the development provides design features (including health and safety requirements) and use of materials appropriate to the proposed location, together with landscaping, outside amenity areas, screening for privacy, car parking and servicing;
- the development provides appropriate safe access and accommodation for emergency vehicles;
- the development preserves or enhances Conservation Areas and does not adversely affect Listed Buildings or their settings, where these are material considerations;
- the development creates no unacceptable environmental, amenity, safety, traffic or other problems; and
- the development complies with the provisions of all other relevant UDP policies.
10.35 Day care facilities for children are increasingly necessary to enable parents to return to work. It is important to ensure that the nursery or children’s care centres do not cause noise or traffic problems. The following Policy will apply:-
Policy CF 8
Day Care Facilities for Children
Proposals for day care facilities for children (including childminders, private day care nurseries and playgroups) will be permitted where they meet the following criteria:-- development is well located with respect to the community it is intended to serve and is accessible by good quality public transport and other modes of transport including cycling and walking;
- proposals incorporate adequate internal and adjacent external facilities for child’s play, rest and activities;
- the proposals are adequate to accommodate the number of children and staff proposed;
- the proposals incorporate adequate safe facilities for the dropping off and picking up of children (these may be on street or off street, but should ensure that road safety and congestion problems are not created);
- the amenity of neighbouring properties is safeguarded, particularly where these are residential, business or office in nature;
- the development preserves or enhances Conservation Areas and does not adversely affect Listed Buildings or their settings, where these are material considerations;
- the development creates no unacceptable environmental, amenity, safety, traffic or other problems; and
- the development complies with the provisions of all other relevant UDP policies.
10.36 Doctors’ surgeries, health centres and dentists’ practices need to be located as near as possible to their catchment population. Conversions to, or new-build surgeries should be locally accessible by a range of means of transport and supportive of the principles of sustainable development. Larger facilities will need to provide Travel Plans in accordance with the requirements of Policy T 1 ‘Travel Plans’. Therefore:-
Policy CF 9
Medical, Dental or Health Facilities
Proposals for medical, dental or health facilities will be permitted where they comply with the following criteria:-- the development is well located with respect to the community it is intended to serve;
- it is accessible by good quality public transport and other modes of transport including cycling and walking;
- it provides satisfactory access for the disabled;
- it preserves or enhances Conservation Areas and does not adversely affect Listed Buildings or their settings, where these are material considerations;
- it does not create any environmental, amenity, traffic, safety or other problems; and
- the development complies with the provisions of all other relevant UDP policies.
10.37 The new Calderdale Royal Hospital will continue to be the focus for primary health care within the District and is likely to continue to develop over the next few years. Whilst there are no specific proposals for this site, it is identified on the Proposals Map for information purposes. The sites of the former Halifax Royal Infirmary and Northowram Hospital have been developed for housing and ancillary open space during the plan period, and the Proposals Map reflects this position.