Care home with sky bar plans for ex-council HQ

A sky bar and tearoom would be included in a new 66-bedroom care home planned for the site of the former Hambleton District Council headquarters in Northallerton.

North Yorkshire Council's planning committee will be recommended to approve the plans for the site of Stone Cross Civic Centre when it next meets.

The proposal, submitted by LNT Care Developments Ltd, would see the offices demolished and the plot redeveloped into a three-storey specialist care facility.

Council officers said the plan would address growing demand for elderly care provision in the region, particularly dementia care and respite services, while bringing employment and investment to the area.

The care home would comprise of 66 en-suite bedrooms, communal lounges, a coffee bar, library, tearoom, sky bar and landscaped gardens for residents.

The development would also include parking, electric vehicle charging points and cycle storage according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A report states the district has a significantly older population than the national average, with evidence suggesting a growing need for specialist care provision over the coming decades.

62 jobs would also be created and the plan makes use of brownfield land in a sustainable location close to public transport, local services and walking routes, it noted.

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.

Only two public responses were received during consultation, with concerns raised over parking pressures and the loss of the existing building.

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.

Planning officers concluded that highways, drainage, ecology, landscaping and contamination issues had all been satisfactorily addressed.

The development would also deliver a biodiversity net gain exceeding national requirements.

If approved, the development will also provide more than £32,000 towards expanding local healthcare facilities, alongside £5,000 for travel plan monitoring.

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