Retirement flat development rejected on appeal

A retirement flat development has been rejected after a planning inspector ruled it would cause "significant harm" to the area.

Proposals for 36 flats, for people aged over-55 in Raunds, Northamptonshire, were turned down on Monday following a planning appeal.

The project aimed to build on land at the former Darsdale Home, and promised high-quality apartments alongside a sustainable community.

But planning inspector Chris Baxter ruled the benefits of the development "would not outweigh the significant harm" on the "character and appearance of the area".

Darsdale Home for the Blind, in Chelveston Road, closed in 2022 after the Care Quality Commission rated it as inadequate.

It then opened in November 2024 as Evergreen Care Home which is still operating.

Neighbours had objected to the new plans, raising concerns about overlooking and the loss of amenity space.

North Northamptonshire Council failed to decide on the application in time. Dipak Patel of Darsdale Care Home Ltd, which owns the building, subsequently submitted the appeal.

But according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Baxter said the three-storey building would be "jarring" and overly dominant, reducing light to nearby homes.

The report also highlighted privacy issues from windows and balconies facing neighbouring properties.

It also found parking provision inadequate, warning of potential inconsiderate parking and access road safety concerns.

A separate claim for costs against the council was also rejected.

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