PLANS for a major retirement complex on an abandoned caravan park in the heart of Old Milton have been approved by New Forest councillors.

The district council's planning committee has cleared the way for Lymington-based retirement housing specialists Colten Care to redevelop the former Meadows caravan park off Southern Lane.

Despite objections from local residents and New Milton town council, the committee followed the advice of planning officers to give conditional consent for a 60-bed care home and 10 retirement cottages on the two-acre site.

The decision ends a long battle to develop the caravan park which closed in 2001.

Earlier plans to build an estate of nearly 40 houses there were rejected by the council in 2003 in the wake of widespread objections and an appeal the following year was dismissed following a public inquiry.

Revised proposals for 34 homes were not pursued and an earlier Colten bid for outline permission to build a 60-place rest home and 12 retirement apartments was also withdrawn.

Local objections, echoed by the Environment Agency, centred on the proposed alterations to the drainage of the site including diverting culverts leading to fears of future flooding problems for neighbouring properties.

There were also fears for the impact of such a development on surrounding homes, trees, the adjoining conservation area and road network including the nearby junction of Southern Lane with the A337 Lymington Road.

And New Milton town council called for any development of the caravan park to include affordable housing.

But in his report to the committee the district council's head of development control Chris Elliott said the Colten plans had been designed to avoid overlooking neighbouring homes and a list of conditions would overcome drainage, traffic and tree concerns.

First published: October 18