South Kesteven District Council has greenlit plans for a new 41-home retirement facility in Stamford.

The project, outlined by the Planning Bureau, is set to be constructed on land off Priory Road. It will comprise 29 two-bedroom apartments and 12 one-bedroom homes, all designed to offer independent living options for residents aged 60 and above.

The development will replace existing buildings from a former stone quarry and will also include a communal lounge guest suite, reception and a communal roof terrace.

Developers are confident that there's a significant demand for this type of accommodation, considering the projected sharp increase in the over-65 population in the coming years.

"In the building, 41 flats will be offered for sale or market rent. 12 will be one bedroom, 29 will be two bedroom. The flats will be accessed from internal corridors which will be 1.5m wide and served by a lift," wrote the developers in their Design & Access Statement.

"There will be a House Manager, a large residents lounge with a small tea bar, a guest bedroom and store rooms for buggies and refuse.

"A call system will be provided to allow residents to raise an alarm and call for help should they need it."

The Stamford property is proposed for land off Priory Road. Image credit: LDRS.

Council planning officers said the plans represented an opportunity to make"effective use of brownfield land" and was acceptable in principle.

However, even after revisions to the initial plans, Stamford Town Council maintained concerns regarding pedestrian and vehicle access, leading them to formally object to the proposals.

The council stated: "The development is too near the busy Uffington Road roundabout making vehicular entry and exit from the site hazardous.

"Pedestrian access to and from the site is also extremely unsafe due to heavy traffic, absence of usable pedestrian walkways and lack of pedestrian crossings"