Buyer selected for Bury’s former police HQ
Exemplar Healthcare, part of Cairnwell Developments, is to acquire the Irwell Street plot and plans to build 80 care home beds across two blocks.
Bury Council’s cabinet is due to meet next week to approve the sale of the former police headquarters after Rotherham-based Exemplar beat off competition from five rival bidders.
Exemplar’s proposed scheme would see two three-storey blocks, each around 29,000 sq ft, built on the site.
The former police HQ, which closed in 2016 and has since been demolished, reached six storeys.
It is hoped that Exemplar’s scheme could address Bury’s lack of care home provision, which sometimes results in “often high-cost placements having to be made out of borough” according to a cabinet report.
The site is being sold as part of the council’s accelerated land disposal programme, aimed at speeding up the delivery of housing on publicly owned brownfield sites and generating capital receipts.
Cllr Clare Cummins, cabinet member for housing services, said: “We need a wide range of housing across Bury, suitable for every section of society: single people, families, elderly and those living with a disability.
“This is an excellent site which will provide much-needed accommodation and support for 80 people. Bringing the area back into use will also benefit the environment, not least for residents who live nearby.”
Surely too valuable a site to become a care home? Within the ring road of Bury and a close walk to Bury tran station.
By NorthManchesterIgnored
I cant believe they are going for such low density? I think this is a mistake. If it was 6 storeys before, it should have been something similar – high density housing/resi/extracare etc within walking distance of all amenities and public transport. Should be similar in scale to the resi above the rock really.
By Anonymous
This is at last a welcome idea for our housing using brownfield land to build what will be a well needed plan for our aging population
By Amanda
What about filling the care home beds that have vacancies.
By Anonymous
The Bury Town Centre Masterplan describes ‘a focus on family housing’ for this area; as one of the first sites to come forward under the land disposal programme, can developers now rely on the validity of the masterplan?
By Anonymous