A historic former water bottling plant is to be transformed into a nursing home and houses. Affordable houses for young families and a nursing home are among a developer’s proposals for the plant at Colwall, near Malvern.

The proposal includes 10 affordable homes and five open-market properties aimed at young people and families. There will also be 12 detached retirement cottages, a 46-bedroom nursing home and a new site for one of the existing village shops.

Blue Cedar Homes, part of property developer Eagle One, bought the site from Coca-Cola Enterprises, which closed the plant down in October 2010. It has submitted a planning application to Herefordshire Council.

Last summer the developer held a public exhibition at Colwall to show people what was planned for the site.

This week, Blue Cedar said its architects Nash Partnership had “taken a great deal of care to incorporate residents' feedback”.

Changes include giving the listed Tank House more prominence in the site, reducing the number of retirement houses from 14 to 12 and reducing the nursing home from 60 to 46 beds.

Blue Cedar area director Nick Cooper said: “The public exhibition held last year was very well attended with a lot of positive feedback about the community benefits of the scheme, including the need for a nursing home and retirement accommodation. We are pleased to be submitting an application that will bring a range of real benefits to area, not least in meeting identified local affordable housing needs.”

John Harcup, of Malvern Spa Association, said: “It’s a bit disappointing. We would have liked to keep the original factory, perhaps converted into the nursing home, or as small business units or even a spa/leisure centre.”

The bottling plant was built in 1892. Coca-Cola closed it, saying it was no longer competitive.