Empty Harrogate care home could be bulldozed to make way for more care accommodation

The application, from McCarthy & Stone Retirement Lifestyles, would see 52 apartments and guest suite built at Greenfield Court, Wetherby Road, where a three-storey building has sat derelict for months.

Planners at Harrogate Borough Council have recommended that the application is approved at a virtual meeting on Tuesday, June 2.

If given the green light, the plans will create up to 17 full time jobs.

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And it will contribute towards the council's goal of building 13,377 new homes by 2035, documents said.

McCarthy & Stone says it specialises in the care of over 80-year-olds which it described as "currently limited" in Harrogate.

It predicts by the end of year the district’s population of pensioners will rise by around 6,000.

Planning documents from the care company said: "The proposed development would have economic benefits for Harrogate, in particular the Wetherby Road residential area, with residents having a propensity to rely upon local shops, services and facilities.

"The population of Harrogate district is expected to increase to 170,300 by 2030 which will only place more pressure on the district’s housing supply.

"The proposed redevelopment of the site for housing for older people is a significant opportunity to contribute towards meeting the current and projected need for special needs housing for the elderly within Harrogate, North Yorkshire and in the UK generally."

The jobs created would include cleaners, waitresses, chefs, night staff and managerial roles.

Council officers, recommending approval, wrote: "The development of will have some economic benefit through the employment created on site during the construction phase of development and work created for the construction supply chain.

"Thereafter, residents would spend money in the locality, and the proposal would create a number of permanent jobs."

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter