A PLAN to convert a former supermarket into retirement flats has been turned down by council planners.

The former Co-op supermarket in St John’s in Worcester closed almost a year ago and plans to flatten the building and replace it with 58 new flats for the over 60s have been rejected by Worcester City Council’s planning committee.

Councillors unanimously rejected the plan saying it was “unattractive” and too big.

Cllr Richard Udall said the planning committee was making one of the biggest decisions on the future of St John’s.

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“It will determine whether St John’s as a retail centre will live or die,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”

Cllr Udall said he believed the retirement flats were a “significant overdevelopment” and did not include anywhere near enough car parking.

He said there was “room for compromise” but approving it in its current form would have a “devastating impact on St John’s.”

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“This is clearly something that should not be done,” he added at the planning meeting in the Guildhall on Thursday (February 23).

Cllr Alan Amos agreed saying the building was “unattractive” and “too big” and Cllr Pat Agar said she felt the flats were “poorly designed” and “quite clearly too big.”

“The developer hasn’t taken the opportunity to enhance the area,” she said.

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Cllr Lucy Hodgson said the flats were “too dominant.”

Planning officers at Worcester City Council had recommended the application was turned down calling the scheme “obtrusive” and “excessive.”

Plans showed a mix of one, two and three-bed flats would be built in a two-to-three-storey building alongside a restaurant, coffee bar, activities studio, resident lounge, hair salon and garden as well as 35 car parking spaces.

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Changes were made to designs put forward at the start of 2022 after the plans were criticised for looking “cramped” with the restaurant and community room moved to a more prominent location alongside the existing shops in St John’s.

The former Co-op closed in April last year after 130 years of trading in St John’s.

Some concerns had been raised about the loss of a supermarket in St John’s and Gladman Retirement Living said the former Co-op was “poorly performing” and no interest had been made in taking over the building for retail.