Pensioners are said to have received "threats and abuse" in their own homes, prompting planned changes to a Falmouth retirement development.

The Fitzroy, in Cliff Road, was previously The Madeira hotel but has been converted into a retirement living development.

While the building works and landscaping have been completed, there were "major issues with the building facade," which meant those living in the apartments had to be relocated and the entire facade of the building removed.

This work remains ongoing, and there were concerns in January this year over whether it would be completed, after the contractor involved fell into administration.

Now, however, a new planning application has been submitted, which states that the facade is "currently being replaced."

Planning consultants Situ8 said that as part of the rectification works to the building the landscaping was lost, due to the need to provide a site compound for the builder’s materials.

This, said Situ8, gave the opportunity to alter the previously agreed landscaping, adding: "The owner has been advised that the residents were always under-whelmed by the approved landscaping scheme. As a consequence, the applicant has re-designed a landscaping scheme, which has now been accepted through consultation with the residents at The Fitzroy."

In particular, the application is said to be "based upon health and safety issues for the residents," who were said to have received "threats and abuse."

The consultants state: "This proposal is considered to be an improvement and will allow more useable areas for residents. The owner has also been advised of anti-social behaviour from outside the site boundary and there has been security breach issues at the site.

"The residents are overlooked by users of the footpath and have been subject to abuse and threats of theft."

As a result one of the proposed changes is the addition of a 500mm natural timber fence over the 1.2 m high boundary wall, "to enable privacy for the residents and for security purposes."

It is also proposed to keep the new vehicular access created as part of the work, and said to be used infrequently for maintenance vehicles, in order to provide access to the front of the building for its maintenance.

"The intent of this access will facilitate access for rare occasions when significant work to re-decorate or replace/re-glazing is required. This will also enable Mobile Elevated Working Platforms (MEWP) or similar to be brought onto the site.

"This provision reduces the potential requirement for scaffold in the future and thereby serves to allow a greater prospect of the landscaping developing to full maturity this time," it is added.

The application to vary the conditions is still to be decided by Cornwall Council, under reference PA22/06123.