A care home branded looking ‘like an office block’ by village residents will not be built after plans were refused by Wokingham Borough Council.

LNT Developments wanted to build a 66-bed care home for the elderly on land to the west of New Road, Ruscombe.

The currently derelict site used to house a nursery, but has since become an antisocial behaviour and fly-tipping hotspot with more than 100 tonnes of rubbish.

30 parking spaces would be provided with access through New Road, with a total of 52 full time staff.

But issues raised by Parish councils, ward members and residents brought the decision to Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee at a meeting on Wednesday, October 9.

Neighbour Corrine Weaver claimed that the design of the scheme was ‘akin to an office block’ and that dozens of people in such proximity would result in a loss of privacy.

Many committee members were concerned with the impact on the street scene – arguing that the design was out of keeping with the current rural feel of New Road.

Councillor Stephen Conway, ward member for Twyford and Ruscombe, described the design as ‘obtrusive and overbearing’ on neighbours.

The councillor also claimed the proposal for a care home went against the vision for the land use in Ruscombe’s Neighbourhood plan.

This plan – which was voted for by residents – says the land could be used for affordable housing, which the area lacks.

Cllr Conway said: “Ruscombe has a significant number of elderly residents, and the neighbourhood plan envisages the site as providing an opportunity for family dwellings to rebalance the parishes skewed age profile.”

A representative from Ruscombe Parish Council agreed that the authority would ‘rather wait for accommodation, family accommodation, to be built that fits in with Ruscombe as a village’.

With a population of only 1,000 people, a Ruscombe Parish Council representative said the addition of more than 60 people would ‘adversely affect’ the area.

He added that there are already plentiful care homes available in the surrounding area – with 24 within five miles of Ruscombe.

But planning officers reminded that there is a ‘significant need for bed spaces for the elderly’ within the Wokingham Borough, which would make a strong argument for overturning a refusal if taken to appeal.

The officer also said that committee members were ‘not here to consider alternative use of the site’, and was ‘concerned this is where discussion is heading’.

After deliberation, the planning committee refused the plans on the basis of bulk and mass, being out of keeping with the street scene and negatively impacting neighbours.