COUNCILLORS will make a decision of defer plans on a retirement living complex in Tadley.

As previously reported in the Gazette, an application to build a new 42 apartment complex in New Road, with associated retail store, were deferred when Basingstoke and Deane Borough Councillors raised concerns about the amount of affordable housing allocated in the plans.

During the previous meeting there were also concerns raised that the addition of a new retail sort would have a detrimental impact on the Koala Store in Herriard Way due to its close proximity to the proposed site.

At the last development control committee, the owner of the Koala Store addressed the meeting saying: “We have owned this shop for the past 14 years and the shop has been serving the community for many more years before that. We are also residents of Tadley, our two children attend local schools and are doing well in their education.

“We have worked so hard to bring this shop to its current state. It’s been refurbished recently and now offers customers a wide variety of items with attractive monthly offers. Whilst we are happy with one part of the proposed development which is building new retirement apartments, we strongly object to the part of the application for class A1 retail store.”

As well as the worries raised regarding the affordable houses, the applicant McCarthy and Stone, was requested to reconsider disabled parking provision and the layby pull-in at the front of the site, the latter in particular in relation to deliveries to the retail units.

In the updated report put before councillor it read: “The applicants have shown that it would be possible to provide affordable housing above the proposed A1 retail unit in a fashion which would be acceptable to the councils Housing Team.

“The applicant has also increased the number of accessible parking spaces for use by residents of the proposal to three.”

A decision will be made on the plans at a development control committee meeting on Wednesday.

For more information on the plans visit planning.basingstoke.gov.uk and search 18/03146/FUL.