Revised Plans for Extra Care Residential Development on The Smith Centre

Revised plans for redevelopment of The Smith Centre on the Fairmile into a luxury retirement development were submitted last week.

The developers, Elysian have received feedback on a number of areas of the design they originally submitted which has raised concerns.  The feedback included the massing of the submitted proposals, particularly when compared to the height of the existing buildings currently on site and the potential visibility of the scheme from the A4130 Fair Mile, specifically when viewed from the footway opposite the site.

The new design now sets the building back on the top two floors, accompanied by revisions to the greening of the building to help soften the visibility of massing at upper levels plus a greater degree of solidity to the building elevations on the upper floors, to mitigate concerns of light spill and visibility of windows at night.

The proposal will consist of four interconnected buildings of one to five storeys in height, partially embedded in the site’s sloping topography which reduces the height of the proposal to one to four storeys from the north and west. The proposal is confined to the existing footprint of the previously developed land (built massing and hard standing). The new facility will comprise of 115 Extra Care Units (number unchanged from original application) of a mix of 1, 2 and 3 beds – alongside ancillary community space which would include a restaurant and multi-use room available to the general public. It also features substantial new landscaping which includes private and communal gardens, courtyards, and landscape terraces.

To view the new proposals and to comment on this application go to http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/ccm/planning/ApplicationDetails.jsp?REF=P22/S3033/FUL