Plans to convert a care home in Hitchin into 16 flats have been approved by North Herts councillors. 

Fourteen one-bedroom flats and two two-bedroom flats will be included in the development at Westbourne Residential Care Home in Bedford Road.

But councillors raised concerns about the number of car parking spaces provided. There will be 12 spaces, with one allocated to every flat apart from the smallest four.

Despite being significantly below the expected minimum of 30, council officers deemed the number acceptable due to the development's "highly sustainable" location.

Cllr Nigel Mason – who spoke against the application – said the idea that the location meant the number of car parking spaces would be sufficient was an "impressive exercise in wishful thinking".

He also raised concerns about traffic, and said the plans were a "recipe for chaos and gridlock" in the surrounding area. The care home is situated next to Oughton Head Way and is close to Samuel Lucas JMI School

The developer said it was not "necessary" to have more than twelve car parking spaces. But Cllr Mason responded: "Necessary? Perhaps not, but that's hardly the point.

"What counts is what future residents choose to do, not need to do. They probably don't need an espresso machine, a widescreen TV and a Netflix account, but they may well choose to have them.

"And real life experience tells us most of those future residents … will choose to own a car, as will their visitors. They will all have to park somewhere, in an area that already has an appalling issue with parking."

Cllr Ruth Brown admitted the parking situation was "not popular" but continued: "If the main people who are going to buy these are younger people, car ownership is actually falling among young people.

"It is an incredibly sustainable location, people will know whether they have a car parking space or not, and they can choose to buy it on that basis. I don't see personally why a slight shortfall in the parking provision … should cause an unacceptable problem."

Hertfordshire Highways did not object to the development. Members of the planning committee voted the proposals through by ten votes to zero at a meeting yesterday (Thursday, September 5).

The plans will also see the height of the building rise by 1.5m to allow for flats to be built in the upper storey.

None of the homes will be 'affordable' according to the government definition of the term, but the developer will pay more than £1m towards providing affordable homes at an alternative location.

The applicant's agent suggested increases in the number of people working from home meant there was less need to provide parking spaces, and an "over-provision" of bicycle spaces – 19 – would "enable local trips to be made" by bicycle. He said it was "the most sustainable location in the district", and residents would have "everything on [their] doorstep".

But Cllr Amy Allen questioned his description of nine of the properties as "one-person" flats. She suggested the term was used to "justify" the number of car parking spaces, and said: "You're really not selling it to me as a nice place to live."

Other councillors, including Cllr Sadie Billing and Cllr Jon Clayden also raised concerns about the parking situation.

Cllr Clayden added it would be "regrettable" to lose the care home, which provides residential care for 27 elderly people, but officers said the closure would not lead to North Herts having a shortfall of spaces.