Two three-storey care homes are set to be built on the site of the former police station in Bury town centre. The Irwell Street building has been vacant since 2016 and demolition began in 2018.
Council leaders are set to approve a deal to sell the site to Exemplar Healthcare with agreement they build specialist residential care homes for 80 people with complex needs.
The council said the phased development could create up to 100 jobs, and the buildings, likely to be three storeys high, would cause less overshadowing for nearby residents than the old six-storey police headquarters did. The move is set to be approved by members of the council’s cabinet when it meets on June 12.
Coun 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.”
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The authority bought the empty building in 2013 with the aim of knocking it down and regenerating it. However, demolition was protracted due to the presence of asbestos and proposals to complete the final clearance of the site were approved by the council in 2018.
Coun Eamonn O’Brien, leader of Bury Council, said: “Our priority for new housing is always ‘brownfield first’, and this is an ideal way to provide social care to our vulnerable residents on a long-derelict site.
“With the new jobs it will bring, and the benefits to local residents, it really is a win-win situation.”
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