ONE of Britain's biggest builders has scrapped plans to replace a former police station with more than 30 retirement apartments.

McCarthy Stone has "withdrawn its interest" in the site at Jones Lane, Hythe, after repeatedly failing to gain planning permission for its proposals.

Two applications put forward by the company were rejected after sparking a large number of objections.

A company spokesperson said: "McCarthy Stone has now withdrawn its interest in redeveloping the Jones Lane site with specialist retirement accommodation.

"Whilst further informal engagement was sought with New Forest District Council to discuss a way forward, this was not forthcoming outside of the formal pre-application process, and, as such, McCarthy Stone is unable to deliver much-needed housing on this site.

"We are still committed to bringing forward housing that meets the needs of older people in the New Forest as further, suitable sites come forward."

Hythe councillor Malcolm Wade said: "I'm very pleased McCarthy Stone are no longer interested in the site as we have enough of their type of development in Hythe already.

"What we need is to utilise the site for affordable housing for young families."

Asked about the state of the overgrown and boarded-up building he added: "It's a shame we do not have an operating police station.

"The worn-down building is an example of what happens when the government cuts funding to the police."

McCarthy Stone, formerly known as McCarthy & Stone, has spent years trying to gain permission to redevelop the site.

A proposal to build 35 retirement flats was rejected by the council in 2018 after sparking 76 letters if objection.

Cllr Allan Glass told fellow members of the planning committee that the proposed development resembled a "really ugly prison".

Cllr Ann Sevier added: “It looks rather like an industrial unit, not somewhere you would want to go and live.”

McCarthy Stone lodged an appeal but a government-appointed planning inspector upheld the council's decision in 2019.

The company went back to the drawing board and submitted a totally new design, only to see its revised scheme turned down last year.

The council said the block of retirement apartments would be disproportionately large and out of scale with other buildings in the area.

It added that the proposed development would harm the setting of the neighbouring Hythe Conservation Area.