Dorset Council has refused Inspired Villages’ plans to redevelop the Matchams Stadium site into a 390-home care village.
Plans for the 129-acre site in St Leonards included 330 homes with extra care provision and a 60-bed care home.
Dorset Council planning officers said the proposed scheme would “have adverse impacts on the Dorset Heathlands SPA and New Forest SPA which cannot be mitigated”.
The officers also said the development failed to make an appropriate contribution to affordable housing.
Inspired Villages chief executive Jamie Bunce said: “Our proposals for a new retirement village in St Leonards were designed to address the shortage of specialist accommodation for older generations, while also delivering a range of new facilities and village transport provision.
“We firmly believe the amenities and community we intended to create there would bring significant benefits to the wider area while addressing the growing shortage of specialist housing for the elderly, especially considering the over-65s population is set to increase by 38% by 2035. Because of this we will review the feedback from the Dorset Council in detail before deciding on the next steps with this site.”
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