AN objection by Bramshott and Liphook Parish Council’s planning committee to an application for a care home at Passfield Oak for clients with severe learning difficulties has come under criticism.

Parish councillors have been accused of being “discriminatory against disadvantaged people” by former parish councillor Eve Hope, whose career spanned many years in the mental health sector of the NHS.

She pointed out such people have as much of a right to live within the community and it was the second time parish councillors have objected to a care home for people with learning difficulties – referring to the proposed care home on the old OSU site.

Jeanette Kirby, who visited the site and spoke to one neighbour, raised a number of concerns that, she said, could impact on the wider community.

She recommended objecting to the proposed application and stated that the care home would be open 24 hours per day, have doctors and emergency vehicles in attendance, that clients would have severely challenging behaviours and might be aggressive and noisy, and that there would be light and noise pollution.

In addition, she said, the home would require specialist workers which would unlikely be local people, who would have to travel as there was no provision for live-in carers and that due to Passfield Road being very busy, it would be difficult for cars to pull in and out of the drive.

East Hampshire District Council’s environmental health pollution team have stated they are satisfied noise will not be a significant issue and have raised no objections.

The site, an old pub, is used as offices and OAA Developments’ proposals are for a change of use to provide a 12-bed care home as well as offices in the barn at the rear. The care home would be managed by Omega Elifar, which already manages five care homes within the area.

The name Elifar stands for ‘Every Life Is For A Reason’ and the company believes each of its service-users deserve the best quality residential care to help them achieve the best outcome to whatever they may aspire.