PLANS have been unveiled for a £6m complex for elderly people which, developers claim, will be one of the best of its kind in the North-East.

Luxurious suites and bedsitters will be included in the project on the site of the former Richardson Hospital, in Barnard Castle, which closed last year.

The buildings and surrounding land have been bought by the Hadrian Health Care Group, of Gateshead, which will submit formal plans to Teesdale District Council soon.

Lengthy talks have already been held with planning officials.

The group is confident that planning consent will be given, and that demolition work will start on the site in June this year, with the first new residents moving in about 12 months later.

Ian Watson, who founded the group 15 years ago and has been involved in a number of healthcare schemes, said: "I feel sure the facilities we provide will be the most modern and innovative for elderly people in County Durham, if not the North-East."

The proposals include 18 ground floor suites, in which residents will have their own bathrooms and front doors. There will be 24 bedsitters with bathrooms for clients with nursing needs.

There will be a single-storey section for about 25 patients suffering from various levels of dementia, complete with a secure courtyard for safety purposes.

Mr Watson said the £6m cost includes the cost of acquiring the old hospital, demolishing it and creating the complex to the highest standards.

He said: "We have been working for the past 18 months to find somewhere in which to provide these first-class facilities, and are convinced this is the right place.

"We feel this will be just what the people of Teesdale want."

He said all the residents will move in on a fee-paying basis, either privately or through the local authority, and the charges will be worked out in co-operation with Durham County Council.

A new Richardson Hospital has been built near the old one, and many patients have praised the treatment they receive there.

Councillor John Yarker, deputy mayor of Barnard Castle, said: "I welcome the idea of putting healthcare facilities on this site rather than expensive housing.

"The hospital was always used to care for local people and it will be good to see this continuing."