Plans submitted for development which could see former Northampton care home demolished and 18 homes built

Plans have been submitted to demolish a former care home in Northampton and build 18 new homes.

Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) submitted the planning application to West Northamptonshire Council in July. The application is valid from August 2, 2023.

The housing provider is proposing to demolish the building in Ecton Brook Road – which housed up to 30 elderly residents until 2016 – and in its place build 18 new dwellings comprising of two, three and four bedroom homes organised as terraced housing. NPH says the new homes will be “energy-efficient” and will be available for “affordable rent”. The applicant is also asking permission for the “associated car parking and landscaping”.

A number of consultees have been contacted, including Anglian Water, Northamptonshire Police, Billing Parish Council and local councillors. This will form part of the planning process.

An additional proposal aims to provide a community hub on an existing plot of land close to the care home. This new community hub will provide a space for residents to run social activities for local people of all ages. This space will be managed by NPH, which already manages 15 hubs across Northamptonshire, and will feature a main room, kitchen, toilets and full disabled access. Once open, the space will be available for all local residents to use.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Partnership Homes said: “NPH has submitted a planning application to build 18 much-needed new homes on the former Ecton Brook House Care Home site on Ecton Brook Road, on behalf of West Northamptonshire Council.

“Subject to approval of the application, the development would include a mix of two, three and four bedroom homes, as well as associated car parking and landscaping.

“We look forward to receiving the outcome of the decision in due course, when we’ll be able to share more details.”

According to planning documents, a decision is expected to be made on the application by November 1, 2023.

After the care home closed in 2016, despite the best efforts from campaigners, a planning application was submitted in 2019 to bulldoze the building and replace it with affordable housing. However, the application was withdrawn before it could be considered.