A St Neots charity has shared its concern at "loud" and "aggressive comments" directed towards the team following public uproar shared online at their new building on the Church Walk.
Hundreds of people took to Facebook to share their dismay at St Neots Voluntary Welfare Association's (VWA) new grey zinc cladding building, which replaced the previous toilet facilities.
Labelled as "ugly" and an "eye sore" by residents, many St Neots Town councillors have also commented on the new facility, with Cllr Doug Terry suggesting the original plans approved for the building were "amended without our knowledge."
The managing director of VWA, Andy Shaw, said: "We are concerned because we have been here today (February 1) setting it up to reopen to our clients on Tuesday (February 7), and we've had people actually walking past when we've been outside making very loud and quite aggressive comments.
"We're employees for a charity; this is nothing to do with us.
"We are going to have clients with dementia coming in, and people are walking past making comments."
The St Neots Voluntary Welfare Association runs a day centre on Church Walk for the elderly and people with dementia to provide support, entertainment and hot meals to those in need.
From providing respite for families caring for people with dementia to those widowed or lonely, the charity submitted a planning application for a new facility because the old toilet facilities had become dilapidated and ill-suited to help their clients.
Mrs Shaw said: "When we originally put in the plans, we requested that the plans were in keeping with the local area, church walk and the building, so actually, it matched perfectly.
"We were absolutely staggered to find out they were rejected.
"We were told it was rejected because they [Huntingdonshire District Council] didn't want it to detract from the original Victorian building, and it needed to be an obvious addition and modern."
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Planning application
The planning application was submitted on April 15, 2021, by St Neots VWA, with Sisco Architecture hired as architects, using brickwork and incorporating a vaulted roof in the plans to match the existing buildings.
Huntingdonshire District Council's (HDC) urban design officer proposed the original design be amended to "reduce its incursion into Church Walk and to change its style and materials."
The revised design was then flat-roofed and shallow in depth to ensure the existing building remains visible.
Because of the changes in the form of the building, the building's materials had to change, and HDC's officer report said: "The contemporary treatment (standing seam zinc cladding) together with the chamfered front facade is supported, this creates a clear distinction from the original host building."
St Neots Town Council (SNTC) recommended approval of the original application, but according to the officer's report on the HDC's planning portal, when HDC amended the proposed scheme, no further comments were received from SNTC.
A spokesperson for HDC said: “The planning process has been followed from submission through to the decision being issued.
"We only received one objection at the time the original scheme came forward, and did not receive any further responses to the amended scheme. It was then approved under delegated powers.”
The new facility
The old building was a toilet facility built in the sixties, but because of the flat roof, heavy rain meant the structure became dilapidated with water streaming on the inside.
After years of planning and fundraising, the charity had its proposal for the existing block to be demolished, and replacement facilities constructed to include a lobby area and covered entrance.
"On the inside it is beautiful," said Mrs Shaw
"We know it's not the prettiest of buildings, but if we had our way, it could have been Victorian, but that's not how it was with HDC.
"We desperately needed those facilities, so we just went by what they wanted and it was passed."
From the stream of disapproving online comments and anger experienced first-hand, Mrs Shaw said she is now concerned about safety due to the "inflammatory comments" made on social media.
She implored the community to show compassion towards those that rely on the service and lifeline they provide for clients.
"It's just annoying that there was no mention of what we do in all those moans and the good that we do," Mrs Shaw added.
She added that surrounding businesses have supported the new building, and the charity plans to soften the front of the building with plants and a seating area for their clients.
To view the planning application, visit HDC's planning portal and use reference 21/00892/FUL.
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