CONTROVERSIAL plans for a nursing home in Windermere have been rejected by the narrowest of margins by Lake District planners.

Bowness and Windermere Community Care Trust had applied for permission to build a 40-bedroom home on an area of wooded land next to the Phoenix Centre off Old College Lane, near the town centre.

But the scheme was refused by the Lake District National Park Authority's development control committee on the casting vote of chairman John Hayton after members were split on the issue.

The plans have divided the local community. A wide range of local organisations supported the scheme, including the parish council, Age Concern, Churches Together in Windermere, Windermere Rotary Club and Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust.

But there have also been dozens of letters of objection. Several hundred people signed petitions against the development and Sport England also opposed it.

The authority's development control committee originally backed the plans when members considered them in May. But because the scheme represented a departure from the local plan, it had to be advertised before being fully approved and subsequent objections meant the decision had to be reconsidered.

At the committee's latest meeting, senior planning officer Paul Haggin told members that there had been a number of changes to the application to try to overcome the objections. These included relocating the football pitch and creating a new junior sports pitch for local youngsters. But Sport England still objected because of the loss of the running track resulting from moving the pitch.

Despite these changes, Mr Haggin still recommended that the plans be refused. He said it was not the right site, the loss of an important area of open space and recreation area would harm the area and the home would have a detrimental affect on residential amenity.

He said: "It is a difficult issue, there's no doubt about it. There is certainly a need for a nursing home in Windermere. It's just a question of whether this is the right site. In my view, it isn't."

On behalf of the Community Care Trust, chairman Clive Langley said the plans would provide for the varying requirements of the community and he pointed out that the Trust had offered the football club a 25-year lease for the site to give them greater security.

He said: "There has been a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation about this, especially about the loss of facilities for youngsters. We feel the plans we have submitted will serve the needs of youngsters and the elderly."

Members were divided on the issue. Coun Ronnie Calvin said the land was too valuable as open space to allow the development. But Coun Alan Clarke said it was not fair for families to have to travel to Morecambe or Carnforth to visit their elderly relatives.

In the vote, members were split three for and three against, with six abstentions, and chairman John Hayton had to determine the fate of the scheme. As he always does in such situations, he voted with the officer's recommendation and the scheme was refused.

A statement issued by the Trust after the meeting said: "The Bowness and Windermere Community Care Trust is very disappointed by this decision. It delays the time when our area can have a nursing home.

"This means that all local people in need of full nursing care will have to continue to uproot, usually to Morecambe, Lancaster and Carnforth. When our charitable trust next meets, we will discuss this outcome and consider what to do now. Many people in our community will be sad at this turn of events."

But Colin Barnes, a Heathwaite FC committee member, said: "This is a victory for the youth and sport-minded young people of Windermere."