A FRESH bid has been unveiled for new social housing for the elderly on a former school nursery site in Burnley.

Blueprints have been drawn up on behalf of Robert Talbot, of Knutsford-based BDP Construction, for vacant land off Claremont Street, Gannow.

His firm wants to erect 12 apartments and ancillary accommodation for the administration of the site on the long-empty area.

Architect Clive Carruthers says in a planning statement: "The project is for the erection of 12 social accessible housing units.

"The site was chosen as being suitable given the locus of infrastructure and transport links.

"The site is an unused brownfield site which previously benefitted from planning permission for the erection of 18 apartments (in 2006).

"The proposed physical location is on the site of a former school nursery. The existing school on the site closed many years ago and was subsequently demolished.

"The site is presently fenced off and kept in a tidy condition.

"It was felt that bungalows would be a better fit with the locus and potential user groups.

"Most properties within the area are two-storey with the exception of the store building and vehicle repair workshop adjacent."

Mr Carruthers says the size of the buildings are important to provide residential homes for elderly persons and occupiers with limited mobility and associated open spaces. Easy access to public transport was another factor.

Plans were lodged in 2020 for 10 bungalows for the elderly, on the same site, which never progressed.