Plans for ex-care home to be turned into flats

A former North Yorkshire care home is set to be turned into 24 affordable flats.

Brentwood Lodge in Leyburn has been vacant for almost a decade after care home residents moved to Kirkwood Hall in 2016.

Under the scheme, the building would be converted into 13 one-bedroom apartments and 11 two-bedroom units.

All flats would be managed by housing association Broadacres, which said it would rent out the properties at affordable rates.

Plans have been submitted by Brierley Homes, North Yorkshire Council's housing development company.

The proposal will go before the planning committee on Thursday, when it is recommended to be approved, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

So far, there have been no objections to the scheme, with the civic society describing the project as a "welcome addition to the availability of affordable housing in Leyburn".

In his report for councillors, planning officer Jonathan Smith said that for the building to continue as a care home, a substantial programme of works would be required to upgrade the premises to meet the required standards.

He added: "Satisfactory and up-to-date care homes and care facilities currently exist in the area.

"The proposal would be a community asset, seeing the reuse of a redundant building being converted into affordable rented accommodation for local needs that has received no community objections.

"The scheme represents a well-designed, sustainable reuse of a redundant community asset in a highly accessible location."

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