New homes for older people given go-ahead by Gosport council

Councillors sitting on the regulatory board at Gosport council approved the application submitted by Thorngate Living. It comes despite five objection letters being submitted by residents nearby.

The trust wanted to build the homes at their current site of Melrose Gardens, off Station Road.

Ten of the houses will be new, modern properties while the other two will form part of an extension to the existing care home Clare House.

Anne Taylor, chief executive of the Thorngate Almshouse Trust, gave a deputation at the meeting.

Speaking afterwards she said: ‘I’m thrilled that we have finally secured planning consent for this important new development.

‘We have long waiting lists of people wanting to live in our schemes and these new homes will be a big help.

‘We worked carefully with our architects and surveyors to come up with a cost-effective and innovative proposal.’

As with all Thorngate Living’s housing schemes, the new homes 
will have on-site, 24-hour warden support.

The development includes a new residents’ lounge and community space.

Plans include a communal atrium allowing residents to socialise. And new gardens will be developed.

Five objection letters were received with people voicing concerns about additional traffic the new homes would cause on Station Road.

They said the road was in a poor state and construction vehicles would make the situation worse.

Other issues included excessive noise and over-development of the site. They also feared building would be too close to the boundary line causing a loss of privacy.

But councillors went along with the officers’ recommendations.

Cllr Roger Allen said: ‘We do need a number of these facilities.

‘I’m sure the new properties will fit in very well with the area which I know well. I’m in full support of this.’

Don Lucas, chairman of the Thorngate Almshouse Trust’s board of trustees and former mayor of Gosport added: ‘We started pre-application consultations with Gosport council as far back as May 2014 and I am pleased that the council has now given consent.

‘The new development illustrates how the trust, founded in the 1860s, is flourishing and delivering its charitable mission to help more people in Gosport.’