PLANNING permission to transform a historical former all girls school into a retirement village has been granted.

The former St Mary's School on Mount Battenhall, Battenhall Avenue, a Grade II listed building, will be converted into 100 properties.

The one and two bedroom homes will have a reception room, kitchen and a bathroom or shower room.

Developers intend to restore the 19th century building and create three new villas within the seven acre site, which will then be known as Mount Battenhall.

Previously, the plans to build a retirement village were mostly positively received.

But neighbours had raised concerns over the height of the structure, amount of parking and road improvements for scooters.

Posting on the city council website in December last year, Samantha Ashfield, who runs Battenhall Nursery from her home, voiced safe-guarding concerns that one of the villas would directly overlook her garden.

She said: "The proposed Villa C block is four stories high with proposed balconies, terraces and non-frosted windows which will directly overlook our garden where the children will be playing.

"The proposed height of this villa is of particular concern.

"We appreciate the boundary currently consists of a number of mature yet deciduous trees which do provide an element of screening to our property in the summer months, but these are our trees for which we are responsible."

Developers said the Victorian building and grounds will be converted "sympathetically" to include communal facilities such as a dining room, library, restaurant, treatment room, guest accommodation, lounge and bar, and landscaped grounds.

Dating back to the 1860s, the elegant Italianate-style mansion was built by Worcester clothier, William Spriggs, and then sold to Worcester mayor Alfred Percy Allsopp, a member of a wealthy brewing family.

During the First World War the mansion was used as a convalescent home and latterly became the renowned St Mary’s Covent School, until its closure in 2014.

Hattie Bacon, marketing and operations for Enterprise Retirement Living, said: "We are delighted to have secured Mount Battenhall as our next retirement village for those advancing in years - a growing demographic that requires increasing support.

"Our aim is to combine old and new sympathetically within the site and create a vibrant community for older people to live securely and independently and enjoy the lifestyle they deserve.

"Owners will be able to join or form interest groups such as local history or gardening, take part in quizzes and social evenings, attend any number of a variety of events, or simply enjoy an informal coffee with friends."

The village aims to offer privacy and independence with support and care from a 24-hour on-site team.

The first properties will be available in 2019.

For more information go to www.mountbattenhall.co.uk.