Retirement village approved in Walton-on-Thames

A 222 unit extra care retirement village has been approved in Walton-on-Thames which will include a gym, restaurant and wellness suite.

The £100 million investment will be built on the site of a former Homebase store, and was considered in an eight day hearing.

The main issues in the hearing were concerns that the proposal would not be the most efficient use of the site and that it would undermine the vitality of the town centre. Some other concerns were raised by local people including the scheme's impact on the street scene, protected trees, traffic, access and parking.

Inspector Frances Mahoney was satisfied that the proposal was being "promoted on the basis of a sound and thought-through model to care for those whose care needs change as time progresses, and not to massage the entry requirements to admit those who have not yet reached a point of requiring assistance". This matched the aims of the scheme to build extra housing for those aged 65 and above with care needs.

The council suggested there was a need for smaller units of market housing and affordable housing, and questioned whether this need was greater than the retirement village. Mahoney dismissed this and said that the development for the village should not be rejected "just because it is not what has been identified as housing of the type of most pressing need". She commented this would mean that a retirement village could never be build until more affordable housing in the area had been built, "essentially stifling development in the borough".

The suggestion from the council that the village may have an impact on the town's vitality was labelled ageist, and Mahoney argued "people over 65 years of age are also members of the public and no doubt enjoy frequenting local restaurants which will have a range of decor from smart, chic to themed and minimalist".

Applying the "tilted balance" considering the council's housing land supply shortfall, and dismissing the other arguments the council gave for the refusal, the appeal was allowed.