Sean O'Hare
THE NATIONAL Society for Epilepsy (NSE) has finally been granted planning permission to develop its site at Chalfont St Peter.
The news comes two years after John Prescott rejected its original application to sell 16 acres of green belt land to fund a £30m development to replace care homes, day care buildings and staff accommodation.
The latest strategic plan submitted by the Society, following consultations with the planning authority and local community, has been scaled down and is now expected to cost in the region of £10m.
The Chiltern District Council approval of an eight bedroom extension to the Society's flagship home, Queen Elizabeth House (QEH) came on Friday, September 21.
Applications for three further care homes, also providing 20 en suite rooms in small self-contained units at the north end of the NSE's site are expected to be submitted one by one over the coming months.
The funding is expected to come from the selling off of buildings at the south end of the site which will no longer be needed, although a pre-arranged bank loan is expected to finance the the QEH extension planned for the beginning of next year.
Chief Executive of the NSE Graham Faulkner said: "The permission for us to extend our flagship home, Queen Elizabeth House, is fantastic. It means that NSE can at last begin to move forward and provide standards of residential care and services in line with 21st century policies. We are being cautious in our approach as we submit these applications as it is important to us that we 'get it right.' This is why we are submitting the plans as and when we are ready. We have consulted widely with the planning authoritities, the local community and others and are optimistic that we are on the right track to secure planning consent for these new homes.
The new strategic plan will see a reduction of care beds from the current 200 to 80 by 2011, look to accommodate people with learning difficulties as well as epileps