MCCARTHY & Stone recently held a public exhibition to display draft proposals for new homes for older people and improved community sports facilities.

The company says it generated strong local support for the redevelopment of the site, with 78 per cent of feedback received so far supporting the proposals.

More than 1,800 homes and businesses were invited to attend the exhibition.

McCarthy & Stone’s plans seek to redevelop the site on Birmingham Road with approximately 36 high-quality retirement living apartments and new homes, including bungalows, specifically designed to meet the needs of local people in later life, together with car parking and professionally landscaped gardens.

In addition, the proposals would provide a new building which would serve as a sports pavilion and community hub, improved pedestrian access to The Meadows and community car parking for those using nearby sports facilities.

Following the public exhibition, McCarthy & Stone will be amending the plans in response to the feedback received from the community and will submit a planning application to Bromsgrove District Council in due course.

Darren Humphreys, the company's regional managing director, said: “We’re very encouraged that our plans have already received a good level of positive local feedback. The responses we’ve received show that there is a strong local demand for specialist retirement housing.

"The proposals present benefits to the community in the shape of new sports facilities, but would also release family-sized housing back into local markets and, as our homeowners mostly shop locally each day, boost businesses in the village.”

The company believes homeowners in the proposed scheme would support businesses in the village. It said based on experience of existing developments, 78 per cent of retirement living homeowners shop locally more than once a week and in a typical scheme spend £670,000 per year in the local economy.

People requiring further information are invited to visit mccarthyandstone-consultation.co.uk/alvechurch or contact the project’s freephone information line on 0800 298 7040.