New assisted living homes are to be built in Dundee as part of a bid to provide more accessible housing in the city.
Fifty-four new homes are to be built at various sites in Charleston, with one application for 12 flats rejected due to fears over road safety.
Charity Blackwood Homes and Care, which provides social housing for people with additional living needs, had lodged four applications for flats and houses at seven sites in the residential area.
At Dundee City Council’s planning committee on Monday night, Simon Fitzpatrick of the social landlord said the developments could halve the waiting list for accessible homes in the city.
“All of these homes have been designed for people who need some degree of help to live independently,” he said.
“They include features such as automated sliding doors, fall monitoring and voice automated blinds.
“The homes are badly needed and could house as many as half of the applicants currently on the council’s accessibility waiting list for physical disability, many of whom are housed in unsuitable accommodation, sometimes away from their loved ones.”
But one of the developments, for 12 flats next to Brownhill Street, was rejected after neighbours said emergency services would not be able to access the street as there are already too many cars parked there.
Twenty-three residents objected to the development and one, Sharon Gow, claimed one family have already moved out of the street due to the proposals.
“I believe the infrastructure and condition of the surrounding roads are not capable of handling the increased volume of traffic that this will create,” she said.
“Brownhill Street is a cul-de-sac with two access roads, both are continually full of potholes and the state is pretty poor because of the volume of traffic using them.
“There are many blind corners and every single street in and out of this area is single lane only because of the parked cars.
“Cars are parked on the pavement which causes a huge safety concern. This doesn’t take into account care providers who will be visiting these properties or family and friends visiting people here.
“Access for emergency vehicles is a major concern already, this road is already chock-a-block with parked cars. Gritters very rarely come into the street, the safety concerns are paramount.”
The council’s transport officers did not raise concerns during the consultation period but councillors voted 12 to 10 to refuse the Brownhill section.
Lochee Labour councillor Charlie Malone said: “This was the one that concerned me most, about the concentration of traffic and lack of space of parking.
“It’s already heavily congested. It doesn’t seem feasible to have any more traffic on these roads.
“These houses are going to be valuable for people with health needs but if it’s going to be difficult for emergency vehicles to get down that road then that care will not be provided adequately.”
All of the other developments, including 38 flats and 16 houses at sites at Liff Place, Gourdie Place, Gourdie Crescent, Charleston Road, Invercraig Place and Buttar’s Road, were unanimously approved.
