Care village approved at disused chemical depot

Plans for a large retirement village at a former chemical depot have been approved.

Breckland Council has given the green light for the "derelict" Brenntag site on the outskirts of Attleborough, in Norfolk, to be demolished and redeveloped.

The scheme included a new care home, housing and large community hub - as well as shops and restaurants.

The owner of a nearby poultry factory had objected to the plans over concerns residents might complain about smells from its processing plant.

However, a council report advised there was a "negligible risk of odour".

Attleborough Surgeries also objected to the plan, and warned that the demand from so many over-65s moving into the area would "overwhelm the practice" and "put an unmanageable strain on our already stretched services".

An artist's impression of how the care village would look

Councillor Vera Dale said she had been "assured" by the developers there would be no significant impact.

"These buildings are an eyesore and desperately need sorting out," she said.

"It is derelict and horrible to drive past. We think this scheme has been well thought-out and the transformation of this site is a real bonus."

The former depot in Station Road included a vacant warehouse, office buildings, workshop and parking area, spanning a total of more than 10 acres (four hectares).

The proposals by Castlemeadow Care will see the buildings demolished and replaced by a 60-bedroom care home, 60 extra care apartments, 50 bungalows and a community hub.

There will also be 36 flats and three retail units, including a supermarket.

The former Brenntag chemical warehouses have been vacant for eight years and have suffered break-ins and vandalism.

Despite some concerns the new buildings would still be unsightly, councillors argued the scheme would be a vast improvement on the current state of the site.

Conservative councillor Paul Plummer, said: "We'd all like thatched cottages with roses round them but that isn't the world we live in."

The plans were approved at a meeting of Breckland Council's planning committee.