Plans to create a centre for brain injury rehabilitation on the site of a former nursing home have been given the go-ahead.
Members of North Yorkshire Council’s Richmond area planning committee have given approval for the redevelopment of Morris Grange Nursing Home, near Middleton Tyas, for a second time.
The plans were reconsidered by councillors today (THURSDAY) after previously being approved following the emergence of issues with the scheme.
Health and adult services staff concluded that the level and type of care originally proposed was not currently in demand.
As a result, the applicant amended the proposed care model to better meet current needs.
The meeting heard that the new home, to be known as White Oaks, will provide rehabilitation care for people who have suffered serious brain trauma or injuries.
A land ownership issue has also emerged which required a new consultation exercise.
The application was granted full planning permission to demolish, extend, and refurbish the existing facility to create a 36-bed care home.
The project also includes the construction of a new two-storey building containing 13 care apartments, alongside associated access improvements and car parking.
The rural site, located near Scotch Corner, has been vacant since its closure in 2019, having previously operated as a 71-bed facility.
Planning officers recommended that permission should be granted, noting that while the new-build element partially conflicts with standard countryside development policies, it occupies the same footprint as a recently demolished building and represents an overall reduction in resident capacity compared to the site’s historical use.
A Section 106 agreement will be required to ensure the 13 new apartments remain dedicated strictly to residential care use.
