RESIDENTS are vowing to fight plans for what they say could be a large-scale retirement village.

Judy and Nigel Bell, of the Shepherd’s Purse cheese company at Newsham, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, previously submitted plans for the site at Thornton-le-Moor.

The plans were for a multimillion pound Thornton Fields retirement village, which included a 40-bed care home and 251 cottages and 60 apartments.

There was also community, leisure and sport facilities for the envisaged 440 people and 120 staff on the site.

The district council was expected to refuse the plans, drawn up by Carter Jonas, of Harrogate, but they were withdrawn in advance. New plans have now been submitted to the council, and residents fear they are for a similar project.

The council confirmed that a planning application for the site had been submitted, but would not give further details.

Councillor Ian Woods, the chairman of Thornton-le- Moor and Thornton-le-Street Parish Council, said he had expected the latest move.

He said: “I am not surprised, but I am disappointed in the sense that there has been no consultation with the parish council or the residents of the village. They did not contact the parish council or residents last time, either.

“Something like this has to be near services such as a doctor’s and shops, and we have a poor public transport system.

“We have not seen the plans yet, but the Thornton-le-Moor Action Group of residents will be looking at them and acting accordingly.”

Mr Bell declined to comment on the application and no one at Carter Jonas could be contacted.