A CHARITY for people with learning and physical disabilities is set to build 48 assisted living apartments.

Willow Park charity, which encompasses Clacton Family Trust, is providing the much-needed homes for vulnerable residents on land behind properties in Jaywick Lane, Clacton.

The two-storey development will include large communal gardens and parking for staff and residents.

To fund the apartments, the plans include 21 bungalows being built at the front of the site.

About 60 new jobs could also be created as a result of the ambitious development.

Director David Thompson said: “We’re happy to finally get the approval after much hard work and look forward to housing people in the future.”

Gary Guiver, Tendring Council planning manager, called it a “bespoke scheme” for residents with specific needs.

The Willow Park Resource Centre, in Weeley, operates as a learning and leisure environment for people with specific disabilities and sensory impairments.

He said: “The main adverse impact is the intrusion of the apartments into the countryside but that is outweighed by the public benefits.

“The adjoining farmland is also earmarked for major development in the emerging Local Plan so the apartments are expected to be surrounded by new housing in the future, and have been designed to be easily integrated into the wider development.”

Nine letters of objections were submitted raising issues about the scheme being out of character with the locality, it having an adverse impact on wildlife and the nearby holiday park.

Concerns were voiced about an increase in traffic and highway safety problems as well as noise, but there was no objection from Essex Council as the highway authority.

A number of extra conditions were added to the approval including striking an agreement with the developer over the number of bungalows which can be occupied before the apartments are built.

The committee also wanted measures to minimise the noise for neighbouring properties and £22,530 will also be paid towards improving the play area at Rush Green Recreation Ground.