Green light for specialist care home on former car sales site
Castletown Way, near a Lidl supermarket, and was cleared around 10 years ago.
New proposals from applicantVerumVictumHealthcare aimed to build a 94-unit care home on the site catering for a range of needs.
Thedevelopmentproposed 58 apartments for extra care, specialistcareandassistedliving accommodation and a 36bed intermediate care facility.
Submitted designs showed the building forming an ‘F’ shape, with the main focus around a ‘horseshoe’ section with a central communal garden, and dedicated parking facilities. A planning statement submitted with the application added the facility would enhanceindependenceaswellas providing specialist dementia care and provision to “support thetimelydischargefromhospital”.
Plans were discussed by members of the Planning and Highways Committee at City Hall.
A report prepared by council planning officers ahead of the meeting said the plans would “provide a community facilityandcontributetomeeting a specialist housing need”.
It was noted that plans would have an acceptable design and “no unacceptable impacts in relation to sustainable travel and highway safety, ecology,flooding/drainageand contamination”.
During public consultation on the plans, one comment was received asking about the hand car wash business that currently operates on part of the site.
Acouncilreportconfirmed that if planning permission is grantedforthecarehome,“the temporary car wash facility on the site would cease”.
After being put to the vote, theplanswonunanimoussupport from city councillors on the Planning and Highways Committee.
Councillor Stephen Foster, who represents the Castle ward, welcomed the development.
He said: “It’s an excellent development and it’s going to improve that corner of North HyltonRoadwhichhasneeded improving for years.”