A PLANNING application to build a retirement care village on a former allotment site has been submitted.

McCarthy Stone and Stonebridge Homes Ltd have applied to Leeds City Council for permission to build the village, consisting of 51 apartments and 15 bungalows, on land at Silverdale Avenue in Guiseley.

The development would also include associated private amenity space, landscaping, vehicular access, car parking, substation, boundary treatments and provision of a dedicated area of public open space (ecological wetland area/community orchard).

The development site consists of an unoccupied plot of Greenfield land, last used several years ago as allotments.

The planning application says: "This specialised form of housing provides the frail elderly with a better housing choice. Moreover, it provides residents with safety, support, security, companionship and removes the heavy burden of property maintenance. Therefore, it reduces the anxieties and worries experienced by many elderly people living in accommodation that does not best suit their needs."

A design and access statement submitted as part of the application says: "Positioned in a location that would encourage the occupants to maintain their independence, the site has good links to public transport and connections into the surrounding area. Everyday needs can be satisfied without the requirement for extensive travel.

"Simple and low maintenance living will allow residents more time to socialise within the development enabling easy interaction with neighbours and visitors without having to leave the grounds of the development.

"By moving into a McCarthy Stone retirement development, elderly people are freeing up a substantial amount of housing stock which can be then be used by families, young couples and first time buyers seeking to enter the housing market and as a consequence relieving pressure on the greenbelt by limiting the requirement for new housing."

Prior to the application McCarthy Stone held a virtual consultation with the local community.

As part of the consultation a spokesperson for McCarthy Stone said: "McCarthy Stone’s proposal would deliver a sensitively designed development of 51 Retirement Living PLUS (Extra Care) apartments and 15 Retirement Living PLUS (Extra Care) bungalows to help meet local need for this type of accommodation. The apartments would be situated near local shops and services, with on-site parking, and landscaped gardens. McCarthy Stone’s Retirement Living developments also feature communal facilities such as a residents’ lounge, mobility scooter charging and storage room, guest suite and lift access to all floors."

The full planning application can be viewed online at Leeds Planning Portal and any comments should be submitted by May 10.