PLANS for a new residential care home to be built on a key site in Droitwich have been approved by the town's councillors.

They voted to make no objection to the plan for a 115 bedroom retirement home with an additional 22 new homes including 10 affordable homes on the Hanbury Road.

If approved, the plans will see the area, which used to be a Land Rover garage, transformed into a horseshoe-shaped building arranged around a courtyard, which will cater for 42 parking spaces.

As part of the scheme, a stretch of the river Salwarpe running behind the new building will be made into a canal as part of the restoration of Droitwich's canals.

At a meeting of the town council, representatives of Holiday Retirement, the company behind the plans, outlined proposals which include a hair salon and a restaurant. Also included will be six one-bedroom studio apartments, six two-bedroom apartments, three two-bedroom terraced houses and seven three-bedroom terraced houses.

The plan did not find favour with Councillor Roy Seabourne who said he wanted to see more affordable housing for the site.

He said: "Wychavon has a commitment to the community and I can't see how parking a group of elderly people in a home which provides everything enhances this community or their lives."

However, Councillor John Brackston said: "There's got to be a balance here somewhere.

"This is potentially a residential care home.

"There's also part of that social care that is looking after the elderly people."

Coun Rob Harrison added: "It will improve the eyesore that's there now."

Councillors said they liked the design and agreed to support the plan which will now be decided by Wychavon district councillors.