Yahoo News Plan for former care home to be transformed into five shops creating 20 jobs
A developer plans to knock down part of a closed-down care home and turn it into five shops bringing at least 20 jobs.
Welburn Investments, from Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, has submitted the proposal for the former Ashwood Lodge Care Home to five retail units. The company wants to partly demolish the frontage to create new fronts for new shops, including a One Stop shop convenience store on the ground floor and a beauty salon on the first floor, with CCTV and lighting.
The proposed shops will bring "at least 15 full-time and five part-time staff", with accurate numbers to be confirmed with occupiers for the units. "It is expected that the development will attract local people for employment," says Fahim Farooqui from the company's agent, planning consultants Total Planning Solutions, in a support statement to the council.
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The care home, on Bedale Avenue, Billingham, had cared for people over 65 and people with dementia, but it was suspended from taking new residents and finally closed following a catalogue of problems detailed by the council including damaged fire doors, absent management, issues with food storage and infection control. The planning statement says the 27-bed home "became vacant in February 2023 due to low occupancy levels and the lack of need for this care home which made the business no longer financially viable".
It says the premises was put on the market and there was "no interest" in using it as a care home. However "other parties have put forward interest to estate agents and applicant with regards to retail use by franchisees and local independent businesses", which considered the site "attractive to meet their business model".
Welburn Investments wants to demolish a conservatory and flat roof extension to rebuild a new façade for the shops, with proposed opening hours of 6am to 10.30pm seven days a week. The shops are proposed with 29 car parking spaces, including three disabled bays and 14 cycle spaces, with the demolished part of the building creating space for the additional bays.
The applicant argues it should not be denied planning permission as there are "no sites suitable or available" for the shops in the nearby Billingham Green and Mill Lane centres. It says in its statement: "The proposed development represents a very efficient layout which maximises the opportunity to visually improve a prominent site and provide a focal gateway point at the entrance to the surrounding residential area.
'No significant adverse impact'
"The amount of development is considered appropriate to provide a range of local shops and services to serve local day to day needs to the surrounding residential areas within walking distance. It is considered that the overall appearance proposed development would positively enhance the character and appearance of the surrounding area."
Mr Farooqui adds: "The applicant seeks a pragmatic approach that the scale of development proposed with small retail units in this location, there being no available units within local centres and the Billingham town centre regeneration in its early stages, it is considered that this development would have no impact upon existing, committed and planned public and private investment up to 10 years.
"The proposed use would have no significant adverse impact on the vitality and viability of the local centre, effect on the amenities of the occupiers of neighbouring properties in terms of noise and disturbance, subject to relevant planning conditions. It would in turn, improve the economic benefits of this vacant building and in turn improve the overall vitality of this new business."
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