Therapy 'pod' application in Whitley Bay back garden sparks concerns

Garsdale Road in Whitley Bay.
-Credit: (Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)


An application for a therapy pod in the back garden of a Whitley Bay home has garnered outrage among locals despite pleas from the applicant.

North Tyneside Council’s planning committee will gather on Wednesday, September 18, to decide on proposals to erect a sound-proofed therapy “pod” in the back garden of a home on Garsdale Road, Whitley Bay. According to the applicant, registered mental health nurse Kate Chartres, the pod, if approved, would host a maximum of eight patients, separately, over two weekdays.

The pod would also serve as an office for remote and online work for the applicant.

READ MORE:Wallsend HMO application recommended for approval despite police "reservations" and local objections

READ MORE:Jobs could be at risk at Northumberland leisure centres months after private company takeover

The therapy which would be on offer includes psychotherapy and caters to common mental health problems including post-traumatic stress, chronic pain, and “other persistent physical symptoms”. The applicant has also stipulated that any clients visiting her home would be subject to risk assessment but also stated that her clientele “are people who do not pose a risk to others”.

An earlier application proposed the pod be installed in the front drive, however this was later amended.

However, despite the move, objections have been officially lodged to the council. 40 objections have been recorded on the council’s website, however, not all relate to the new application.

Complaints have ranged from concerns over parking congestion to the appropriateness of such a venture on a residential street. In addition, people have registered concern about people with mental health issues visiting the proposed pod.

In writing, the applicant responded: “I feel that the concerns that have been expressed by many are extremely prejudicial towards people, in the case of my work, with common mental health problems. It is known that common mental health problems will impact 1 in 4 people in their lifetime.”

North Tyneside Council planning officers have recommended to the planning committee that the application be granted, stating that the use of it for home visits twice a day is unlikely to create substantial problems in terms of traffic or residential amenities. In relation to safeguarding concerns, the council’s report states: “The Local Planning Authority must not seek to duplicate other areas of legislation and it cannot withhold planning permission due to perceived fears without any evidence that the proposed therapy business will pose a danger to the safety of the surrounding residents.”

The local authority's planning committee will convene at 6pm in its Cobalt HQ next Wednesday to make a decision on the application.