A PLAN for a multi-million pound care home and hotel development in North Yorkshire's county town has been given the go-ahead.

Hambleton District Council’s planning committee approved the ambitious plans, which will see a total of 113 full-time jobs created on the site on Finkills Way, Northallerton.

The development will include a residential care home with 76 beds and 26 extra-care apartments which would face onto Finkills Way and Brompton Beck, creating a courtyard.

An 82-bedroom hotel is also part of the plans, which will face the Willow Beck public house, and it will accommodate 102 square metres of retail units with enough room for 90 parking spaces.

The site has been on the market for development since August 2011 yet there have been few enquiries with none offering employment use.

Cllr Bridget Fortune said: “This is a breath of fresh air for the town and it is great that the older generation are being considered.

“This signals a unique opportunity for older people who want to live an independent lifestyle to do so among their familiar community.”

The committee was told that the National Planning Policy Framework deemed that there were no alternative sites available or suitable in the area for such a development.

Cllr Kevin Hardisty added: “It is an exciting development that is needed in the town and it’s great to use a site that has been abandoned for so many years.”

The only specification councillors asked for was that of the 90 parking spaces factored into the plans, at least 20 must be reserved for visitor use.