PLANNING chiefs have deferred ruling on proposals for a 12-flat complex at the site of an existing care home in Poole for the second time in a row.

Borough of Poole's (BOP) planning committee, which convened at the Civic Centre last week, had already deferred ruling on the scheme at its previous meeting, earlier in the summer, citing "clarification regarding the impact of new planning guidance" as its reasons for doing so.

However, when the plans for Pinewood Tower Rest Home, Tower Road, came up again on Thursday, a decision on the apartment complex proposal was once again postponed.

Planning committee chairman Cllr Peter Pawlowski explained: "The committee deferred this application in order to allow officers time to consider additional information received from the applicant.

"Once this information has been reviewed the application will be brought before the planning committee at a future meeting."

Developers Fortitudo Property want to tear down the existing 14-bed care home, making way for a dozen apartments with associated basement parking.

Neighbour Mukesh Udeshi, Kings Court, Tower Road, contacted the council to register his opposition to the proposals.

He said: "I am not against any development but, an overly large development such as this on this site will effect the character of the neighbourhood such that the open/leafy aspect will be lost."

Meanwhile, Tower Road resident Samantha Stanyard, who also opposed the plans, said: "The proposed building will seriously impact the privacy of our lounge/dining room which has a large bay window across the length of it.

"The windows of the proposed will directly look into our property and will be extremely and unacceptably close.

"Also, people enjoying the balconies on the back of the proposed will be able to see in."

A report from council planning officers to members of the planning committee had recommended the scheme's refusal. One of the reasons was cited as the loss of an operational care home.

The report read: "The existing care home is still operational and the evidence submitted in support of the application has not demonstrated that the site or premises are not capable of accommodating a commercially viable care home.

"Most particularly this has not been tested by seeking to market the care home for sale as such."

The proposals will go back to BOP's planning committee for a third time at a later date.