A PLANNING application has been submitted to St Helens Council seeking to create more than 60 apartments for over 55s in the town centre.

Proposals, drawn up by Bernard Taylor Partnership on behalf of applicant Philip Helm, seek to create the facility on land at the junction of Crab Street and Carillon Way.

The site was the location of the former Lowe House School and is adjacent to the Lowe House Health Care Resource Centre.

If given the go-ahead, plans will see 61 apartments created, which will be split into a three-storey building and a four-storey building with associated car parking and landscaping.

The applications states: "The proposed residential development makes use of a vacant piece of land that has been left neglected to the detriment of the surrounding area.

"It is unlikely that the development will impact on local services, such as healthcare and school provision.

"The proposal will have a positive effect on the safety and security of the local area as natural surveillance will be increased and opportunities for crime and disorder minimised and designed out.

"The scheme is for the betterment of existing neighbours and future residents".

The council received the plans on Wednesday, December 20, and they were validated on January 10.

Plans added: "The submitted scheme reflects the applicant’s full commitment to an inclusive society in which nobody is disadvantaged and where physical barriers and exclusions are designed out.

"The philosophy of the design is to ensure that the need of people with impairments is considered as an integral part of the development process".

Public consultation on proposals will last until Thursday, February 8.