Changes requested to approved retirement village plans in Barton next to former Kopper Kettle
Take a look below at one of the most interesting planning applications submitted in Preston last week.
Changes have been submitted for a proposed new retirement village in Barton.
Back in March 2024, Preston City Council approved plans for a new retirement village on the land next door to the former Kopper Kettle on Garstang Road.
In particular the proposal sought permission for the erection of four retirement (over 55's) single storey bungalows, new vehicular access, alterations to the existing Kopper Kettle building, and the formation of new staff car park within the grounds of the Kopper Kettle.
At the time the furniture store was still open but since closing in August 2024, it has now become Moore Vets.
Work on the development has however not yet started and now it looks like the plans could be changing.
Last week, the council received a new application seeking to vary condition 1 of the original application which stated that “the development hereby permitted shall only be implemented in accordance with the approved plans”.
The planning application confirms that changes are sought to amend the window fenestration, the roof pitch and add a porch canopy to the four proposed bungalows.
Plan drawings show if approved the properties will indeed now all benefit from a gabled roof porch, whereas before one style (plots 1 & 2) had no porch and the two other styles (plot 3 and 4) were due to have flat roofed porches.
The shape and of some of the windows are to be changed too.
The new application does not feature a new design and access statement but in the 2024 application, the applicant wrote: “The homes, and the over 55’s restriction, will provide well planned and thought‐out accommodation for an area of society whose housing requirements/demands are often over‐looked and not catered for, giving them private, independent living for their latter years.
“The proposed residential development will provide much sought‐after high quality, single storey independent living for the over 55’s community, whilst enhancing the local area.
“It will provide a small‐scale infill development which will complement the surrounding properties, and provide a small level provision of properties towards the local authorities annual housing need, as the homes could be started and ready for sale on the open market within an 18 month period.”
The new plans have already received comments from four consultees: Cadent Gas, The National Grid, Electricity NW and ESP Utilities.
None of these comments constituted objections but were merely guidance as to where their respective apparatus lay in conjunction with the development.
If any members of the public wish to add a comment they should do so by May 14.