Application for Balby retirement development misleadingly advertised, says planning committee

Earlier this month, Doncaster Council’s planning committee voted to delay a decision on a housing and retirement complex in Balby to re-advertise it to the public.

Retirement homes included in the application were advertised to the public as “extra care” facilities, despite not meeting the requirements to classify as such.

The planning committee heard that the properties should instead be classified as “retirement living” homes.

Councillor Gary Stapleton raised concerns over the amendment of the classification, which occured the day before the committee meeting.

He proposed for the application to be re-advertised to avoid “misleading” the public, before being brought to committee again.

If approved, the development will contain 38 regular detached and semi-detached dwellings, as well as 43 apartments and thirteen semi-detached bungalows designed for retirement living.

Each retirement living home has been designed to meet the needs of people over the age of 55.

The apartment block will contain a residents’ lounge and mobility scooter storage facilities.

Each property has been listed as 100 percent affordable, with the majority being available for rent.

The original application received a petition against it with 51 signatures.

Reasons for opposition included loss of habitat, drainage issues, and negative impacts of construction.

Signators claimed that the construction site being inadequately secured has already led to anti-social behaviour and trespassing.

The council acknowledged that the proposal contains below the recommended 10 percent biodiversity net gain, but that the positives of the development outweigh this.