A HOUSEBUILDING company has claimed a new development in Kendal will 'create and sustain' more than 100 jobs after it secured planning permission to turn the town's former courthouse into retirement apartments.

The Burneside Road site is set to be turned into 64 separate properties.

Churchill Retirement Living initially said the development would create about 120 new jobs, although this was later clarified to be 'create and sustain' by a spokesman.

The 120 jobs estimate was based on a report - called 'Silver Saviours for the High Street' - undertaken by WPI Strategy, a political communications consultancy, for Homes for Later Living.

Homes for Later Living is a consortium comprising companies including Churchill Retirement Living which seeks to 'promote greater choice, availability and quality of housing specifically built for older people'.

The report contains a table that suggests a 'typical' Homes for Later Living development of 45 apartments would support 85 construction jobs for the duration of the build.

On average, says the report, a development of that size would lead to the creation of 6.4 permanent jobs; including 3.2 permanent jobs on the high street courtesy of an estimated £2.25m boost in the high street's gross value.

Stuart Goodwill, managing director of Churchill Retirement Living's in-house planning consultancy, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has helped towards achieving this very positive result.

"There is a compelling overall housing need in Kendal and the surrounding area, especially for older people, and our site is in a perfect location for a new development of this kind.

"Retirement housing is the most effective way of generating local economic growth, local jobs, and increasing high street spend as we look to recover from the pandemic. It will help improve the health and wellbeing of those who live there, and create a vibrant new community in the heart of Kendal.”

Councillors had been divided over approving the development, which contains no affordable housing, before the chairman of South Lakeland District Council's planning committee broke the deadlock and the plans got over the line.

Cllr Philip Dixon said it would be a 'scandal' to see Kendal's former courthouse demolished.