CONTROVERSIAL plans for 50 houses on the site of the former abattoir in Penistone town centre have been rejected.
Developers Dransfield Properties wanted a sheltered housing complex for the elderly alongside their redevelopment of Penistone market, but councillors voted against the application at a meeting on Tuesday.
The plans were rejected despite residents sending in 30 letters of support for the scheme, which would have seen a significant redevelopment of St Mary’s Street.
Concerns had been raised at an earlier meeting about the height of the buildings and the application was deferred to allow time for further discussions.
Councillors were worried that the four storey blocks would be ‘overbearing’ compared to the existing buildings in the town centre.
This was of particular concern at one end of the development, where adjustments to compensate for the slope of the road meant that part of the row would effectively be five storeys high.
Developers and planning officers were unable to agree on a solution in the month since the last meeting, so the plans were submitted unchanged.
