Plans unveiled to demolish vacant care home in Northampton and build 18 'high-quality' council houses in its place

Plans have been unveiled to demolish a longstanding community building in Northampton and replace it with 18 ‘high quality’ social houses.

Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH), West Northants Council’s house builders, has submitted proposals to destroy the vacant Ecton Brook Care Home and build a new social housing scheme on the brownfield site.

The scheme would comprise a mix of two (10), three (six) and four-bed (two) properties, according to plans.

Each property would have a modest sized private amenity space with provision for bin storage and secure cycle storage, according to planning papers.

A total of 37 new parking spaces would be provided including 3 disabled parking spaces and the development will be accessed via the existing access off Ecton Brook Road, according to plans.

A total of 19 electric vehicle charging points are provided within the two parking areas, providing one per dwelling and one per two parking space, according to plans.

An NPH spokesman said: “The proposed development provides a significant social housing provision including a mix of house types to meet a wide range of housing needs within the local area.

"The size, scale and design of the proposed dwellings, including the use of materials, is reflective of the site’s surroundings.

"The application site is sustainably located, supported by existing local services with good access to public transport.

“Overall, the proposed development has been sensitively designed to relate with its surroundings and will create a high quality and safe living environment for future residents.”

According to planning papers, Ecton Brook House was a care home providing assisted living for up to 46 elderly residents and had been in operation since the 1970s but ended in 2016.

The home was closed, and its residents were moved to accommodation elsewhere in the county while the authority shifted its strategy to caring for older people in their own homes. The site is now considered to be a brownfield site, according to plans.

There was a fire at the site in June 2022 which saw a large emergency response.

In other news regarding social housing in the town, residents are being invited to have their say on proposals for how social housing will be allocated across West Northamptonshire from spring next year.