Land deal clears the way for Mount Oswald care home

Having won planning consent at appeal in May, Banks Group and Torsion Care have agreed terms that will allow work to start on a 74-bedroom facility.

Torsion Care, the care-focused division of the eponymous Leeds property group, wants to develop a facility with 74 en suite bedrooms within a 3.5-storey building in secure grounds. Stem is the architect.

Plans were lodged in September last year,  with the parties initially hoping for a start on site earlier this year.

The intended site, at The Drive, is close to Durham University’s South College, and had been recommended for approval before going to committee in January.

Members rejected it, but a planning inspector found in favour of Banks in a verdict handed down on 22 May, dismissing the council’s argument that the project would lead to over-supply of care homes in the area.

Banks has been advancing development across the wider Mount Oswald area over a decade, with Bellway and David Wilson having delivered close to 300 homes.

Banks’ own housing division is working on a boutique high-end scheme. Symeon Court, which will offer nine homes at Mount Oswald’s heart, which will bring the site’s quota of homes to a conclusion. The wider area has seen student accommodation of around 1,000 bedspaces delivered, with more to come.

With the planning hurdle now overcome, work on the care home is expected to start in the coming weeks.

The wider Mount Oswald vision was designed to play into Durham County Council’s vision of Durham City acting as a driver of economic growth in the county, the firm said.

Further information on other developing aspects of the site, including plans for a convenience store and a coffee shop, will be revealed in the near future.

Russ Hall, managing director at Banks Property, says: “Mount Oswald is the ideal location for Torsion Care’s first North East investment and we’re very pleased that they now have the opportunity to realise their plans.

“As a long-established Durham-based family business, we are proud to be delivering on the vision for Mount Oswald that we outlined more than a decade ago, and we will be revealing further details of future developments at the site in the near future.”

Headquartered in Leeds, Torsion Group develops, constructs and operates large accommodation-based schemes, including care homes, retirement living apartments and residential properties.

Ian Ward, development director at Torsion Care, added: “Mount Oswald offers a very well-presented location with excellent transport links, and fits in perfectly with our growing portfolio of care facilities in Yorkshire and the Midlands.

“We’re very pleased to have reached this latest landmark this high-quality project, and will now look to move this project forward as soon as we can.”

All documents relating to the project can be viewed on Durham County Council’s planning portal with the reference DM/23/02622/FPA.