Unoccupied nursing home could be turned into hotel

Mulroy's occupies a prominent location on the seafront at Redcar

Change of use planning permission has been granted which could see a seaside nursing home turned into a hotel.

Documents lodged with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council envisage Mulroy’s Seaview Nursing Home being converted into a 27-bedroom hotel and spa.

They state the property, in a terraced block on Newcomen Terrace, Redcar, is vacant, having closed last year.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has contacted the planning agent involved in the application, Redcar-based Garry Phillipson, of GP Designs Architectural.

The planning permission was granted via planning officer delegated powers, meaning the application was not considered by councillors.

It comes after the nursing home played a role in the 2013 filming of Atonement, featuring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, which used Redcar beach for one of its scenes.

The building's facade was also turned into a row of shops for the film's Second World War setting in Northern France.

Period design

A design and access statement accompanying the planning application said the aim was to create a four-star hotel with a "classic feel", in keeping with an external period design.

An assessment by the council's development engineers said the plans would not have a material impact on the local highway.

A small number of parking bays would also be provided.

Former nursing home

The application stated that many nursing homes, in particular ones based in what were once large domestic properties, had struggled to stay compliant with changes in regulations, with the Covid-19 pandemic another factor.

Mulroy’s Seaview Nursing Home had been subject to a previous Care Quality Commission (CQC) investigation after the death of one of its residents, which is understood is yet to conclude.

The CQC most recently graded the establishment, which provided personal and nursing care for adults with mental health conditions, as requiring improvement and has been in the process of deregistering it.