A DISUSED former care home could be demolished to make way for new housing.

Cash-strapped Durham County Council agreed to close Cheveley House, in Belmont, Durham along with four other residential homes last April in an effort to cut costs.

However, elderly residents were already abandoning the facility as early as summer 2013, due to problems with its roof and floors.

The centre has been up for sale for some months and now Newcastle-based Frideswide Development has applied for planning permission to demolish the home and build 26 dwellings on the site, off Broomside Lane.

There would be 15 three-bedroom homes, six houses with four bedrooms each and two two-bedroom homes, plus three apartments available for social rent.

The 26 dwellings would be arranged around a cul-de-sac, accessed off Brackendale Road.

Parking for 52 vehicles is proposed, 37 more than currently available.

Public consultation has begun and runs until Friday, August 7.

The council has set a target of Monday, October 12 to reach a final decision and a spokeswoman confirmed the issue would be resolved by a planning committee of elected councillors, rather than planning officials acting under delegated powers. No date for this meeting has yet been set.

A supporting statement submitted with the application says: “The scheme has been developed to be a good fit with the local area and has been designed to provide good natural surveillance over the street.

“Overall the development has a coherent and attractive character that features traditional construction and detailing interpreted in a modern context and as such will make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the area.”

However, two neighbours have already registered official objections.

Neil Elliott, of Broomside Lane, says the area already suffers from extensive parking issues and the development would only worsen the situation and questions the need for more houses, saying the market is already saturated.

Emma Rowntree, of Brackendale Road, raises concerns over the proposed entrance, saying it is too close to the junction with the busy Broomside Lane.

For further details of the application or to make a comment, visit durham.gov.uk/planning and enter the planning reference DM/15/01743/FPA.

Towards the end of its use, Cheveley House had 24 residential beds, eight intermediate care beds and four respite or assessment beds.