Decision on turning Halifax care home into flats deferred after plans submitted in feet not metres

Councillors heard the documents were giving dimensions for 48 square feet apartments including bathrooms.

The proposals to convert a nursing home to six apartments in Halifax will come back before Calderdale Council’s planning committee when the details have been reposted with the correct dimensions – which should be in metres.

Mr B Mustafa wants to convert the home at Savile Park Road into six flats. Permission has already been given for converting the premises to three homes.

Before its conversion into the nursing home, the building is said to have been three residential homes.

The six apartment proposal has received 25 letters of objection including concerns about parking and potential increase in traffic.

Officers said some of the objections related to the details which were inaccurate.

Committee Chair Coun Colin Hutchinson (Lab, Skircoat) said it was apparent from a site visit that the dimensions included with the application were incorrect.

Although councillors were aware of the issues – and there were other matters of concern – he queried whether the committee could determine the application in its current form.

The council’s head of legal, Ian Hughes, said the committee needed factual information before it sufficient to make a determination and his view was this was not.

Additionally, although councillors might know the dimensions should be metres, people who saw the documents in the consultation period would not, he said.

Councillors agreed a decision would have to be deferred.