DESPITE objections from locals and officials, the controversial Greenan Care Home has been approved.

At the recent Regulatory Panel, members gave the green light after a site visit to the land on Dunure Road to determine the site’s suitability.

The inspection took place on Friday, January 26 to assess if the application for the build of the care home with associated car parking, service areas and landscaping, would be appropriate.

During this visit however, around 60 objectors gathered at the site location as they blasted the plans for an “intolerably” high care home.
Panel members were advised at the meeting on Thursday, February 1, that the application was recommended for approval.

Cllr Connolly believed that site visit was “useful” and Cllr McKay agreed, saying: “I think it was useful, having visited the site, to get a better feel for it and see the elevated location. I don’t see any reason for refusing it as such.”

Cllr Convery, however, expressed his concerns for the build of the care home.

He explained: “I was up relatively late last night, going back over this [application]. I can fully understand the size, but I am really quite concerned in the sense that, on the site visit, for me, the ground falls away quite rapidly and it is really more the massing of it, being that close to the road.

“That may not be a valid reason but the mass itself is worrying me quite a bit. I am not very confident of that. I have got 20/20 vision and from where I was standing I could see further down towards the sea.

“If you are looking for peace and quiet, you are not going to get it there.”

The consultation for the application showed no detrimental effects to the local wildlife, local tourism or any issues with the loss of views, house prices and potential profits.

Cllr Connolly proposed that the officers recommendation was supported and the panel approves delegated powers for the application, which was seconded by Cllr Cavana.

A spokesperson for Mactaggart & Mickel Group said: “This 53-bed care home has been sympathetically designed and will be in keeping with the local area. 

“In terms of visibility and views, It will be set further back from Dunure Road and therefore will be less prominent than housing would have been.”