Raab called in as council rejects L&G senior living scheme

Legal & General’s senior living business has called on Dominic Raab after local officials in his constituency claimed retirement housing would “undermine” the town centre’s “vitality”. Elmsbridge Borough Council has refused L&G’s plans for a £100m over-65s development, claiming that centrally located senior living would affect the town centre’s “viability”. L&G’s Guild Living is planning 222 homes at the former Homebase site in Walton-on-Thames, with retirement flats, care units and a public wellness centre on the town centre site. But the council has marked the planning application for refusal at next week’s committee on 20 October, arguing that there is no demand for elderly accommodation, and that the borough needs residential and affordable homes. Documents ahead of the meeting claim there are a number of legal agreements that would need be to be provided, including a reason for restricting the occupancy to over-65s in need of care, so that it would fall into the C2 care home use class. The planning officer’s report also says the application fails to demonstrate whether any other alternative mixed-use scheme would be viable and feasible “to support diversity in the town centre”. L&G argues there is “clear local need” for senior living and alleges that the refusal is a potential breach of the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits public authorities acting in a discriminatory way. Later living chief executive Phil Bayliss has written to the foreign secretary claiming the response “undermines local and national policy and is potentially discriminatory against the elderly”. Bayliss wrote: “Whilst recognising you have no power to intervene on Elmbridge Borough Council, I wanted to raise the following concerns with you, in light of your detailed knowledge of the area and housing market given your previous brief.” An Elmsbridge Borough Council spokesman said: “The application has been assessed against the council’s adopted planning policies and the NPPF, which seek to ensure that development in the borough meets the identified housing need. As part of this assessment, officers have considered the need for elderly accommodation as well as the need for smaller market and affordable homes. The council strongly refutes the unfounded allegation.”   To send feedback, e-mail emma.rosser@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmmaARosser or @estatesgazette