Scheme

Meeting Place was instructed to support Inspired Villages in the progression of a Reserved Matters application for Phases 2 & 3 of its site at Little Mount Farm, Frant, following the Reserved Matters application for Phase 1 being granted in 2021 and an initial Outline application for a new Integrated Retirement Community (IRC) comprised of up to 146 specialist homes for older people and a range of communal facilities accessible to the local area being granted in 2020. The remaining phases will deliver 91 specialist homes for older people, helping to provide much needed age-appropriate housing options for older people across the District while freeing up existing family homes in the area.

Strategy

At the start of May 2023, Meeting Place held a public consultation event on the Reserved Matters application, which was also used to promote the key benefits of the scheme through individual stands for recruitment, sales and the befriending services available. The event was also attended by the village manager and residents of Ledian Gardens, one of Inspired Villages’ newest IRCs, helping to positively highlight their positive experience and answer questions around day-to-day life at an Inspired village. In the same month, Meeting Place also organised and delivered a presentation on the proposals to councillors and local residents at the Parish’s Annual Assembly alongside key members of the project team.

The application was submitted in August 2023, with a recommendation for approval from Frant Parish Council and no objection from other statutory consultees. Following submission, Meeting Place organised a ward member site visit and tour of Ledian Gardens, leading to a heightened understanding of the model and quality of delivery. Speaking at the committee, ward member Cllr Johanna Howell said: “I visited an Inspired Villages scheme up in Leeds, near Leeds Castle, and was very impressed by them … and actually they are a model for other people as to how they should go forward.”

In the days leading up to determination, Meeting Place also engaged with Planning Committee North members, issuing a four-page graphically designed briefing and FAQ document to coincide with the release of the agenda and following up with phone calls to clarify queries and gauge support.

Outcome

The application was unanimously approved in July 2024, with the Chair, Cllr Martyn Everitt, noting: “I feel it it's a very good design providing a very good service for the community”.