PLANS have been submitted to transform a residential property into a care home for adults with learning disabilities.

An application for ‘change of use’ has been submitted to Durham County Council for a property on Station Road in Ferryhill.

If granted, the proposal would see the dwelling transformed into a small care home providing care for up to eight residents, each with complex needs.

The planning application was submitted by JDS Design on behalf of Action4Care Ltd.

It reads: “The residents will be aged between 18 and 65 and live together based on the model of a small group of individuals, having their own care package in terms of support needs, but living in a family type setting; socialising, cooking and sharing meals, domestic tasks, and shopping.

“The residents share all the facilities common to a normal household such as kitchen, dining room, utility room, lounges and a quiet room. They have their own bedrooms with en-suite facilities for privacy, once again as any household would provide.

“Attractive, safe and private external amenity spaces will be provided for the Service Users, in a typical domestic garden environment. Action4Care Limited do not provide support for individuals with significant physical disability, nursing needs or the elderly. However, due to the potentially vulnerable nature of the people resident, support will be provided in terms of road safety skills, vulnerability and exploitation.

"The house sits within generous private grounds and is predominantly screened from the road by well-established vegetation. The property occupies land bordered by bungalows to the south-west, and bungalows to the east."

The care home hopes to create employment opportunities in the community if accepted by planners.

Developers anticipate 20 to 24 new jobs with staff working on a three-shift basis.

No staff will sleep at the property.

Action4care already operate a number of similar homes throughout the north of England, each of which is based on a similar model to the proposal in that they provide care and support to a small group of residents with a learning disability and associated complex needs, but who wish to integrate with society in their rehabilitation.

If accepted, there will be no alteration to the access to the site from Station Road.

Off-road car parking is already available for at least eight cars at the front of the property.

Parking will chiefly be for staff, but developers said every effort will be made to recruit staff locally, and the use of public transport will be promoted.

Members of the public can submit comments on the proposals by visiting durham.gov.uk