A proposal for a care home in Four Marks with 22 en-suite bedrooms has received planning permission from East Hampshire District Council.

The scheme for an L-shaped building next to Belford House in Lymington Bottom was approved by its planning committee on September 18.

Run by Hartford Care, Belford House is a 42-bedroom two-storey nursing home on another part of the site which was granted planning consent in 1988.

This application went before the committee because part of the site was outside the settlement boundary and therefore a departure from the council’s Local Plan.

Four Marks Parish Council objected on the grounds of drainage, parking, noise and light pollution, that the application was “not justified”, and that it was outside the settlement policy boundary.

Fifteen objection letters from the public focused on traffic and parking issues, the threat of flooding, disturbance to neighbours, over-development, harm to the environment and the additional burden on the infrastructure of Four Marks.

Nine letters of support were received, highlighting factors including that it would be a much-needed asset for an ageing local population, would increase local employment, and would not have a negative impact on the environment.

The tilted balance in favour of approval applied to the application because it comprised housing - albeit restricted to people needing care - and the council could not demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.

The building will be partly two-storey and partly single-storey. It will also comprise staff accommodation plus a hair salon, café, communal lounge and dining rooms. The equivalent of 15 full-time employees will work there during the day, and five at night.

Recommending approval, East Hampshire planning officers said: “The proposal results in minimal harm, which leads to minimal weight against the proposal. The benefits of additional care home provision carry significant social and economic benefits that weigh in support of the scheme.”

East Hampshire district councillor Roland Richardson, who represents Four Marks, Medstead and Chawton, said of the scheme: “Any additional building runs the risk of increasing flooding issues and will contribute to the danger and congestion on the roads.

“I hope that the conditions set out will successfully mitigate all these issues. Although I personally abstained in the vote, the committee came to the correct outcome. I welcome the additional care that these additional rooms will allow and any increase in employment that flows from it.”

Cllr Richardson gave his thoughts on the planning system in general: “I know that the planning committee are likely to be asked to rule on many more, and much more controversial, applications in the coming months.

“Undoubtedly the new targets as a result of the current government focus on house building exacerbate the issue, as do issues relating to the South Downs National Park.

“I commend the great work which is being done at East Hampshire District Council to bring forward a Local Plan. I especially commend the fantastic effort being put in locally to develop the new Neighbourhood Plan for Four Marks and Medstead.

“Planning needs a plan, rather than just reacting to speculative building applications.”