Developer bids to build over-50s 'retirement village' with its own lake in Harborough district

A 13-year-old-plan to build a number of woodland lodges, a lake and a shop on land in Broughton Astley has been changed, as the applicant now wants to create a ‘retirement village’ instead.

An application to build 45 woodland lodges, a golf and fishing country club and a lake on the Sutton Circuits site, in Sutton in the Elms was first submitted to Harborough District Council in February 2009.

This outline application was permitted a few months later and since then multiple applications have been submitted to the council giving further details of the proposed development.

But now the applicant David Poyner has confirmed he wants permission to change the conditions of an approved 2021 application, so people would be allowed to permanently live in the woodland lodges.

According to planning documents, the previously approved application had a condition that none of the proposed lodges would be anyone’s main home and would only be used as holiday homes.

But Mr Poyner’s new application seeks to challenge this and aims to deliver “a retirement village restricted to people aged 50 or over”.

The proposed village intends to address the district’s “current and foreseeable shortfall of self-build housing” according to the applicant and “will help contribute to the local economy”.

A number of motorhome spaces were also originally planned for the site, but now the applicant wants to add more lodges. It is unclear how many more he intends to build.

The proposed design for the retirement park would see the lodges built around a large lake in the middle of the site.

To the south of the park would be a large shop and cafe for the residents, as well as a taxi and mini-bus rank.

Each lodge would have room for resident parking. Access to the park would be via Sutton Lane.

The newly updated application was submitted to the council last month and members of the public can submit their feedback about the proposal on its website.

People have until Thursday, July 27 to comment on the application and a decision is expected in September.