AMBITIOUS plans to build a state-of-the-art elderly care village in Sutton received a mixed reaction this week.

After months of rumours, Craven District Council housing officials revealed proposals to tear down Yeadon House and replace it with a more modern complex offering extra care facilities.

Elderly residents living in the house's sheltered accommodation and the owners of properties on nearby Bent Lane were invited to give their views on the plans.

Coun Ken Hart told a packed room at Yeadon House on Tuesday that there had been no applications for planning permission and the aim of the meeting was to seek residents' views at this initial stage.

Yeadon House, which mainly comprises bedsits for elderly people with warden facilities, is owned by Craven District Council.

However, the council wants to enlarge and modernise the accommodation, as well as provide extra care facilities to elderly residents.

The council's housing manager, David Allison, said residents at the complex were often forced to move into residential care with homes if the degree of care they needed increased.

He added the council wanted to move away from this approach and provide elderly people with sheltered housing and the extra care facilities at one location.

"This would mean they could still have a place with their own front door, but with all the services they need at hand," said Mr Allison.

There are two ways the council can do this. The first is to enlarge and adapt Yeadon House, but this would cost about £1.5 million.

The second option was to demolish Yeadon House and working in partnership with Muir Housing build a new sheltered housing complex on a larger site, incorporating an adjacent field owned by the housing association.

Mr Allison added the cost of the second scheme would only be marginally higher than the first.

Chris Moorhouse, of Muir Housing, explained that the second proposal involved building a complex with 32 one-bedroom units in the empty field.

The old building would be demolished and additional sheltered housing units, bungalows and car parking built.

Architect John Coultas added the other units would consist of 12 flats, which would be ideal for those people who wanted to keep their independence.

Six bungalows would be built on the current Yeadon House site, which would be suitable for families who have a wheel chair-bound person in the family.

Mr Coultas added that in total the proposals would provide 50 new units.

However, the proposals have caused concern among Bent Lane residents whose properties overlook the Muir field.

They are worried about drainage and flooding as the site collects rainwater from the higher ground.

Sharon Dobson, of Bent Lane, said her house had flooded several times in the three years she had lived there.

She told the Herald: "The water comes down from the fields and collects like a lake in the bottom. In my opinion if they were to build this new Yeadon House in that field, the amount of water that comes down would flood it in a couple of hours."

Joan Haigh, who moved to Bent Lane in 1953, added there had always been problems with flooding in the area. "The drains are not adequate now. They will not be able to cope with any more water."

In response, Mr Coultas said the proposals included a water feature, which would act as a collection point for excess water.

Several residents were also concerned at losing their view.

Mr Coultas assured them that the development would be 21 metres away from the back of their houses.