A NEW 37-bed care complex could be built in Worcester – with an old set of industrial units set to be demolished to clear the way for it.

Developers want to build a privately-run facility in White Ladies Close, near Upper Tything, by knocking down three unused buildings.

A planning application has attracted four objections from people living nearby, including traffic fears, loss of privacy and being overlooked.

The complex would contain 14 one-bed and 23 two-bed flats, some en suite, and would offer tailored care visits.

The homes, which will only be available to people aged 50 and over, are designed for people who want to live independently but require some level of assistance.

Under the proposal, the apartments would be rented or bought on a lease basis, and a communal area would be built inside the complex for those who want to mingle.

There would also be private landscaped gardens and 19 parking spaces provided for visitors.

The applicant is Abbeyfield Worcester Society, which runs a complex for up to nine elderly people in a grade two-listed building at 12 Green Hill, London Road.

The company wants to extend its work in the Faithful City by launching the second facility.

Residents say the street sits in a conservation area and that it is the wrong site for the development.

Greg Warner, of Shrubbery Avenue, one of the objectors, said: “While I understand the need for extra care housing for the elderly, it is the proximity of the development and the impact that this will have on my family living space I have serious concerns about.”

But the proposal is favoured by the city council’s planning officers, who have recommended it for approval when it comes before planners this week.

A report published for the planning committee to vote on says the complex would “adapt to the changing needs of the occupants”.

It also says the area is already a mix of residential and business use, so the home would not change its character.

Under the South Worcestershire Development Plan, a blueprint for homes and employment up to 2023, the site is not eamarked for any specific use.

The proposal will be voted on when the planning committee meets at the Guildhall on Thursday from 1.30pm.