A DEVELOPER has withdrawn plans for a retirement community on the site of a former office building in Andover for a second time.

McCarthy Stone, on behalf of Care UK, had been seeking permission from Test Valley Borough Council to redevelop Guilbert House, in Greenwich Way, which was auctioned in March 2022 with a guide price of £3m.

The site comprises a vacant three-storey former office building, dating from the 1990s, within a landscaped parking area, at the junction of Newbury Road and Greenwich Way. 

READ MORE: Revised plans to build care home and retirement flats on site of former office block

In October last year, McCarthy Stone submitted a second application for the site including the erection of retirement living apartments with communal facilities including car parking, erection of an 80-bed care home.

It withdraw its first proposal in March last year and has now withdrawn its second set of plans, but no explanation has been given.

McCarthy Stone has been asked for information about its decision to withdraw the application.

SEE MORE: Plans for care home and retirement apartments on former office block site withdrawn

The latest application stated: “The proposed development would provide specialist accommodation which would cater for the ageing population of Test Valley.

“It would take place on previously developed land, it would provide a release of under-occupied housing thus reducing the need for new housing on greenfield sites, it would increase consumer choice, create a more balanced community by having greater housing choice available to it.

“It would result in the occupants of the development shopping locally thus assisting in the economic wellbeing of the area. The construction phase would create employment approximately 50-80 jobs as well as some in related support industries.”

In April 2019, an application to deliver 66 residential apartments on the site was granted approval by the borough council. However, following the planning approval, no steps have been taken to implement the planning consent.

McCarthy Stone previously said that there is a strong local need for specialist retirement living accommodation in Andover.