PLANS to build a new retirement facility on a former Peterlee primary school site have been lodged with council planners.
Earlier this month, proposals were submitted to Durham County Council for a site north of Robson Avenue.
The land forms part of the former Eden Community Primary School site and has been vacant since the school closed in 2008.
Galliford Try recently purchased the land along with the remainder of the former school, which has recently received planning permission for residential use.
While other parts of the site are sidelined for housing, the northern section could be transformed into a 71-apartment ‘extra care’ building.
Extra care housing is designed for people with health needs or disabilities who don’t want to move into residential or nursing homes.
The sites typically include self-contained homes which have support services to help residents live independently.
In Peterlee, the new facility would include 54 one-bedroom and 17 two-bedroom apartments and several communal facilities.
A further 32 car parking spaces, four disability spaces and eight cycle spaces would also be provided on the site, which is well screened from surrounding development by mature trees.
And according to planning documents, up to 23 jobs could be created from the development.
A design statement says the plans were drafted in response to the “general increase in the elderly population of Peterlee".
It adds: “Residents retain their own apartment and front door, with supporting services on site, therefore controlling the level of independence they wish to maintain
“On site services include a catering facility and communal dining area, communal lounges a salon and treatment room and most importantly, a 24/7 care service ensuring all resident’s needs can be catered for in their own home.
“Residents therefore remain part of a wider community which in turn reduces levels of loneliness often associated with the elderly, particularly for those which have impaired mobility.
“The 71 apartments, a mix of one and two beds, will ensure the release of many family houses back into the housing market, increasing accessibility to such housing for younger families.”
A final decision on the plans is expected by November 18, after public consultation. Comments can be made until September 17. For more information on the plans, visit https://publicaccess.durham.gov.uk/online-applications/ and search planning ref: DM/19/02667/FPA.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here