A Black Isle community has written to seven leading care home providers in a desperate plea to build a much-needed facility in the area.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie Community Council has highlighted the acute shortage of beds locally and a number of possible sites for the development.
Parklands Care Homes – one of the recipients – submitted plans to build a 40-bed care home on a gap site between the two villages in June last year.
But this was rejected by Highland Council under delegated powers, as their policy for the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan states the green space between both villages should be kept free from development.
The local authority also identified seven other possible sites – all scheduled for development – for a care home in the Black Isle.
A Parklands Group spokesman said the company is expected to submit new plans next month with a completely new design, repositioned on the existing Ness Road site. He added this was the “only practical and affordable option” after a “prolonged search for alternative sites.”
Community council member Tom Heath stressed that the community is “neutral” on this new application. They had opposed the previous application over the contravention of the council’s policy.
Yesterday Mr Heath said the community “decided to take the initiative to generate interest,” adding: “There is nothing to stop anyone from applying for planning permission.
“The problem is, the seven sites which the planning department recognised are all sites scheduled for development, and so it could be houses or a care home. Unless the council changes its policy status specifically for care homes, then it is fair to point out that there are many more suitable places in the area they can go to which are not prohibited by the Local Plan.”
Regarding the new application from Parklands, community council chairwoman, Sarah Atkin, also stressed the news application was being treated as “new,” adding: “It is important that the consultation process is just that – a process.”
The community council letter, sent last Friday, highlights an acute shortage of care home places has been exacerbated by the closure of the 40-bed Marine House and threatened closure of the smaller Abbeyfield.
It states: “The shortage of care homes remains very real and you may wish to take advantage from an accepted demand for care home beds and consider building on permitted land either in Fortrose and Rosemarkie or elsewhere on the Black Isle.”