Planners will be deciding the fate of a bid to build a major care village in West Lynn next week.
Prime Life Ltd is looking to create a hundred jobs by building three care homes, cottages and a community building on wasteland off St Peter’s Road.
The development was refused by West Norfolk Council’s planning committee in June last year due to concerns about the design and appearance of the complex.
But the re-designed application will be appearing before the planning committee on Monday next week.
Officers have put forward a recommendation to approve the bid subject to securing affordable housing and a £20,000 contribution towards the West Lynn ferry service.
Prime Life’s development director Simon van Herrewege said the company is holding talks with the council to discuss these contributions.
He said the re-designed complex offers greater views of St Peter’s Church.
Mr van Herrewege said: “We have done an awful lot of work with further consultation so everyone’s views are included in the scheme. That has resulted in, what we believe, is a re-design that fits in well.”
The site has stood empty since 2003 when the King’s Lynn Dredging Company depot buildings were demolished.
The new complex will include three care homes, with a total of 150 bedrooms, 18 independent living cottages plus a day care centre and village hall.
A report to the planning committee states: “The proposal takes a modern contemporary approach to avoid competing with the historic quayside of Lynn across the River Great Ouse.
“The dominance of the development criticised in the refused scheme has been replaced with a varied waterside vista which is broken up by the articulation created by the irregular plan layout of each of the principal buildings, coupled with the more contemporary architectural styling of the large balconies, glazing and material mix.”
English Heritage has objected to the layout while Lynn Civic Society has cautiously supported the application. West Lynn Residents Forum has also backed the bid after three meetings. Secretary Don Ely said: “It is going to provide much needed jobs for people in this area, particularly young people who have left school.
“We all have experiences of grandchildren or nieces or nephews who are finding it hard to find decent work. This will provide various types of work but will also include apprenticeships.





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