Garden transformation for former retirement home

Plans to demolish the Oak Trees resource centre and create a communal garden have been approved

The site of a former supported living centre in Rotherham which was closed four years ago over fire safety concerns is to be transformed into a communal garden for nearby homes.

A proposal to demolish the disused Oaktrees Resource Centre on Stag Willow Close and repurpose the land was approved by Rotherham Council's cabinet on Monday.

The demolition and redevelopment would be funded by applicant Together Housing, meaning there would be no cost to the authority, councillors were told.

The demolition was expected to take place later this financial year, with the community garden to follow once the site was made safe, cabinet members heard.

The Oaktrees complex, also known as Stag Willow, was built in 2006 as a housing scheme designed to support older residents to live independently with care available on-site.

The resource centre formed the heart of the development, housing eight self-contained flats as well as communal facilities for tenants, including a lounge, kitchen and activity areas, and an office base for the on-site support team who provided day-to-day care and assistance.

Together Housing consulted tenants on how the land should be used once the unsafe building was taken down, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A total of 16 out of 19 households responded, with the vast majority backing the creation of a communal garden and seating area, rather than a "working garden" maintained by residents, members of Rotherham Council's cabinet were told.

The preferred design includes an enclosed green space for relaxation and socialising, with two extra parking spaces for residents and low-maintenance landscaping to keep service charges down.