McCarthy Stone loses Wirral appeal

Refused by the council last year for being “overbearing”, the developer’s £10.5m retirement scheme in Heswall was also blocked by the Planning Inspectorate. 

While both Wirral Council and the Planning Inspectorate agreed with McCarthy Stone’s claim that there is a need for retirement accommodation in the area, this was overridden by the scheme’s unacceptable impact on the surrounding area. 

The development would “represent poor quality design and be a discordant addition to the street scene on Well Lane thereby having a significant adverse visual impact,” the Planning Inspectorate said. 

In summarising the case, the inspector suggested that had the proposal been for more than 37 apartments it might have been approved. 

By 2037, there will be a shortfall of 673 retirement units, according to Wirral Council.  

However, “given the size of the shortfall, the additional 44 units the proposal would provide would not make a substantial contribution to addressing it”, the decision notice states. 

Last year, McCarthy Stone won an appeal against the refusal of a similarly-sized scheme in a neighbouring borough. 

The developer’s plans for a 44-apartment scheme in Neston were rejected by Cheshire West and Chester Council amid concerns about highway safety before the Planning Inspector ruled in favour of McCarthy Stone at appeal.