A new community for over-55s is set to be built at a former school site in Bury. Social housing provider Bolton at Home have submitted plans for 39 flats and four bungalows at the former site of the Millwood School off Fletcher Fold Road.

The school building was demolished in 2021. If approved, Bolton at Home, who own, manage, and maintain more than 18,000 homes, will build and manage the project for Bury Council. The site is bounded by existing houses and the A56 runs alongside.

There are three Grade II listed buildings to the east of the site, The Crest, The Manor House and The Nook. A statement published in support of the plans, said: “The proposed accommodation is to meet an identified need for older persons accommodation in the borough.

“By providing much needed purpose-built older persons accommodation that can be easily adapted to changing needs as people age, it is hoped that family housing will be freed up within the borough.

“This site has been selected by Bury Council as a suitable location for providing older persons accommodation and the brief and mix has been agreed with them.

“Given the intended user group all accommodation will be designed with spacious entrances, open plan kitchen and dining and level access bathrooms. “The dwellings will also be dementia friendly.”

The report said the new bungalows will have allocated car parking spaces and resident parking courts will be provided for the apartment blocks. The site currently has a public footpath running through it.

The plans said the footpath will be closed for the duration of the development with a temporary diverted route established and then reopened once building work is complete. Bolton at Home, added: “We feel that this development will be a valuable addition to the area and a significant improvement to the previous building.

“The proposals provide much needed older persons accommodation at the heart of the community in an established residential area. “The design is sensitive to its surroundings and makes a positive contribution, infilling a vacant site and making the existing right of way safe and attractive to use.”

Bury Council’s planners will decide on the plans in the coming weeks.