THE developer behind plans for a retirement village on the site of a former office block has returned with a second application.

In April Churchill Retirement Living was refused permission for 69 retirement living apartments at Alan Child House, Borden Gates, in Andover, but it has now lodged another scheme – with a reduced number of flats.

The company is now looking to build 54 flats with one and two bedroom apartments and associated communal facilities, vehicular access, car parking and landscaping.

READ MORE: Alan Child House: Appeal lodged after retirement flats rejected

Test Valley Borough Council in its refusal for the previous scheme said it “would be of poor design and would fail to improve the character, function and quality of the area”. Churchill has said: “The revised scheme has sought to respond to the reasons for refusal of the previous application.”

The scheme has been reduced by 15 units to allow for the reduction in height and mass of the building from six storeys to five storeys. The footprint of the building has also been reduced.

A planning document said: “Churchill Retirement Living’s vision for the site is to deliver a development that meets our customers’ needs and the local need for retirement apartments whilst also contributing to the character of Andover and making a positive contribution locally in terms of socio, economic and environmental benefits.

“Our aim is to create a high-quality development that embraces sustainable design, enhances the setting of the area and fulfils the aspirations of the town masterplan.”

Churchill said that parking would be one space per three apartments because of the “sustainable location and average age of purchasers at 79-years-old means a lower average car ownership requirement than mainstream housing”.

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Within the development will be a concierge reception, owners’ lounge, coffee bar and guest suite.

“The scheme has been designed to reflect the character and scale of the surrounding area whilst making efficient use of this sustainable brownfield site,” the planning document added.

Churchill previously lodged a planning appeal against the council’s decision on its first application but this has since been withdrawn.

The Test Valley Housing Needs Marketing Assessment (2022) indicates that over a 10-year period, the older population within the borough is expected to increase by 24.5 per cent, compared to an increase of 19.2 per cent in England.