Plans for 45 independent living retirement flats have been approved in a York village.

Churchill Retirement Living has won an appeal against City of York Council, who did not determine the application within the required timeframe.

The scheme concerns a three-storey development at 11 The Village, Wigginton, a 0.39ha site which contains a historic tannery, which will now be demolished.

Wigginton Parish Council and others had opposed the scheme, with City of York Council receiving more than 100 letters of objection.

They said the design of the scheme was ‘alien’ and ‘incongruous’ and the three-storey building would tower above neighbouring properties and ‘spoil the setting’ of Wiggington village.

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The parish council also branded the scheme ‘overdevelopment’, adding there was plenty of retirement accommodation in the area.

However, in the appeal decision notice, the Government’s Planning Inspector Dr Rachel Bust dismissed objections to the plans and awarded partial costs to Churchill against the City of York Council.

She said: “There is a range of benefits arising from the appeal scheme including: the provision of 45 units of specialist housing for older persons for which there is a critical need, and the proposal would make more effective use of land within a settlement with good accessibility to services and facilities. In addition, future occupiers would have the opportunity to support these services and facilities which is good for the economy and society as well as their own well-being.”

Churchill Retirement Living says its scheme will support 90 jobs during and after the scheme’s construction. The development will also contribute £350,000 a year to the local economy.

The developer also says the new apartments will provide attractive, high quality, secure and self-contained accommodation in landscaped grounds.

People living in such flats typically experience reduced health risks, saving the NHS money, it continued, and with owners downsizing, free-up around 90 homes onto the local market, helping around 30 first-time buyers get onto the housing ladder.

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As with all Churchill Retirement Living developments, owners “will enjoy independent living and a sense of community”, with a communal Owners’ Lounge, a Guest Suite, a Lodge Manager, and a 24 hour emergency call alarm service, the company continued.

Stuart Goodwill, Managing Director of Churchill’s planning consultancy, said: “This is a very positive result and we will now look forward to starting work on this new development in Wigginton.

"Retirement housing is shown to be the most effective form of residential development for generating local economic growth, supporting local jobs, and increasing high street spend.

"The new apartments will also help improve the health and wellbeing of those who live there, and meet the housing needs of many older people in Wigginton and the surrounding area.”