RESIDENTS have lost their fight to stop a multi-million pound block of 50 apartments for older people being built in their town.

Selby district councillors have given Hanover Housing Association (HHA) planning permission to go ahead with the £7.5 million development in Leeds Road, Tadcaster.

Under the scheme, HHA will demolish The Beeches care home, which has 33 beds and replace it with a building which in places will be three storeys high. Construction work is expected to start next month, with an expected completion date of March 2011.

About a dozen local residents had objected to the scheme, including the son of a woman who used The Beeches for respite care. A spokesperson for HHA said: “Each of the 50 apartments will have high quality living facilities featuring a modern fitted kitchen, a level access shower, and efficient gas, heating and hot water systems.”

The spokesperson said the facility will provide an environment for older people wishing to retain their independence for as long as possible, but who may need help and support on a regular basis.

“Residents of the new development will be well supported by the Hanover on call service, which will provide 24/7 emergency response giving residents peace of mind that help is on hand if they need it,” the spokesperson said.

HHA will demolish the current building, which varies in height between one and two stories, in phases to allow existing residents to remain on site while the new care facility is being built. The council had received about a dozen letters from local residents opposed to the plans. Neil Townend, whose mother used The Beeches for respite care, said he was “extremely disappointed” with the decision to give the new scheme the green light.

“It will have a detrimental affect on neighbouring residents whose views seem to have been disregarded,” he said. He claimed the three-storey part of the building will look directly into neighbouring homes resulting in a loss of privacy.

The project was part of a partnership between Selby District Council and North Yorkshire County Council aimed at helping to deliver new “extra care developments” throughout the county. Unlike care homes, residents of extra care developments have their own front door.