Developer plans high-end retirement home on brownfield site

McCarthy Stone has submitted plans for a high-end retirement home at the former Ian Clough Hall in Baildon.The brownfield scheme will deliver 47 apartments, featuring a homeowners’ lounge and landscaped gardens with on-site parking provision.Ahead of submitting a planning application Bradford Metropolitan District Council, McCarthy Stone carried out a public consultation with the local community on its initial proposals.Ciaran Aldridge, divisional managing director north at McCarthy Stone, said, “There is a real need for specialist retirement accommodation in Baildon, and this proposal would go some way to addressing that, whilst at the same time releasing existing family homes onto the market and relieving the pressure on local greenfield sites.“Research shows that residents of a typical 47-home McCarthy Stone development would collectively spend £362,000 a year on the local high street. This spending would support local retail jobs and help to keep businesses open in Baildon.”Research by the Bradford Strategic Housing Market Assessment highlights the local need for this type of accommodation, with the district’s over-65 population set to increase by 39.5% between 2019 and 2037. McCarthy Stone’s proposals would help to address this issue, allowing local older people in Baildon the opportunity to downsize into a more suitable home, while staying close to friends and family.McCarthy Stone’s plans will be determined by Bradford Metropolitan District Council in the coming months.Aldridge added, “Our plans for Baildon provide a valuable opportunity to improve the health and wellbeing of local older people, whist also supporting significant cost savings to the NHS and local social care services.”