New Northallerton care home gets approved despite parking concerns

Members of North Yorkshire Council’s Hambleton area planning committee today (Thursday, May 14) voted in favour of an application to redevelop the former Hambleton District Council offices at Stone Cross in Northallerton.

The proposal will see the offices demolished and the plot redeveloped into a three-storey specialist care facility for elderly residents.

The plans have been submitted by LNT Care Developments Ltd.

The care home will include 66 ensuite bedrooms, communal lounges, a coffee bar, library, garden room, tearoom, sky bar and landscaped gardens for residents.

Plans also include 25 parking spaces, electric vehicle charging points, cycle storage and ancillary buildings.

Great Ayton councillor, Heather Moorhouse, was one of several councillors who said they thought the parking was insufficient.

She said: “There’s not enough car parking to satisfy me that people can go along there and visit their relatives.

“I do support the whole scheme, it’s fantastic, but that’s a problem that I’ve got.”

Councillor Bryn Griffiths, member for Stokesley, added: “My main concern comes down to this issue of parking.

“I’ve spent a lot of time visiting my wife in a similar facility and parking is an issue. There are visitors coming to visit their relatives in the residence, there’s tradesmen coming, contractors coming to do work, health care people arriving, social services, etc, etc.

“I feel that 25 park parking spaces from my own experience will be insufficient.”

But Councillor Steve Watson, member for the Northallerton North and Brompton division, said motorists could park in the parking area serving the next-door leisure centre if needed.

He said: “It’s a good quality application and delivers really what the area needs.

“The fact that there only appears to be one local objection really says it all.”

The existing civic centre building became vacant following local government reorganisation and the creation of North Yorkshire Council.

Officers said the current office building was “of no particular architectural merit” and its demolition was considered acceptable.

North Yorkshire Council, which owns the building, received nine bids when the site was marketed, with none of these bids proposing to keep the existing building.

The sale of the site to the care home operator was described as a “win, win, win” situation by deputy leader Gareth Dadd when agreed last year.