Elderly patients are ditching their cars to get help due to the cost of living, according to a Sefton physiotherapist.
The comments were made after planning permission was sought to convert a house on Liverpool Road in Formby into a physiotherapy practice.
The application was submitted in June to convert the bungalow into a three treatment room practice, with seven car parking spaces – four more than were originally at the property.
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After concerns were raised by the highways department of Sefton Council over the number of car parking spaces and potential comings and goings at the property, a letter sent by the applicants agent said: “With the cost of fuel elderly patients are most likely to travel by free bus.”
It added that a survey carried out by the physiotherapist at her current practice on Ravenmeols Lane found over a quarter of patients “did not arrive by car.”
As part of this claim the agent said a survey carried out earlier this year found 15% of people arriving on foot and a further 12% being “dropped off” – although it was not clarified by what mode of transport this dropping off took place.
The application was also reduced to two practice rooms rather than three. The physiotherapists would operate at different hours throughout the week, according to documents, generally operating between the hours of 8.30am and no later than 8.30pm.
According to a report produced by Sefton Council planning officers, a recommendation about the parking was made by the council’s environmental health officer to include a condition for a 2m acoustic fence to protect neighbours from the noise levels of cars coming and going into the car park.
However, planning officers rejected the recommendation, stating:”Given the limited hours of use of the proposal and the nature of the area, with unrestricted comings and goings to other residential properties within the area, it is considered that the acoustic fencing would not be required in this instance.”
No objections were received from local residents and an officer report stated that the change of use would not “cause any significant harm to the living conditions of the neighbouring properties” or the character of the area and could therefore go ahead.
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