Plans for 61 retirement flats in Knaresborough have been approved at the fourth time of asking by developers which refused to further reduce the size of the building.

Adlington Retirement Living was today granted approval for the scheme which it said would become “unviable” if reduced in size.

It follows complaints from residents and councillors over the size of the building, parking, traffic and the risk of flooding at the Wetherby Road site.

However, no objections were raised by statutory consultees.

At a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee today, Conservative Robert Windass was one of eight councillors who voted in favour of the plans, while three voted against.

Cllr Windass said: 

Adlington Retirement Living – which is part of the Gladman group – first submitted its plans in March 2020. Since then, it has had one application refused and been told to rethink another twice.

The developers had agreed to remove a fourth storey of the building and also pay for a new footpath on Grimbald Bridge.

Read more:

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The risk of flooding was another concern raised by Mr Benn, as well as Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, who previously asked for the building to be moved further away from the River Nidd.

Adlington Retirement Living refused to do this after including a flood storage basement in its plans. The company also previously said there is “no record” of the site flooding.

However, residents claim the River Nidd has overflowed at the site as recently as February.

Cllr Marsh also told today’s meeting:

“I sent every member of this planning committee a photograph of a building literally just down the river from this site which has been badly flooded for the last five years. We know this area floods.”

She added: