A disused council building is set to be transformed into a three-storey residential care facility after being sold to a nationally renowned care home provider.
The civic centre at Stone Cross in Northallerton has been sold to LNT Care Developments Ltd, which plans to redevelop the site and open a 66-bedroom care home with operator Crystal Care Collection that will support North Yorkshire’s older residents.
The building served as the headquarters for the former Hambleton District Council before the authority was merged with seven other local authorities to create North Yorkshire Council in 2023.
There is no longer an operational need for the council to retain the civic centre, as many of the services previously delivered at the Stone Cross site – including a customer services hub – have already relocated to other council-owned premises to better serve residents.
As a result, it was agreed that a sale would provide the best outcome for both the authority and communities, generating valuable funds that will be reinvested elsewhere in the council as well as reducing annual running costs.
North Yorkshire Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, whose responsibilities include finance and assets, said: “We have a responsibility to strategically review and manage the buildings we own, ensuring that every asset is used effectively so we deliver the best value for money to residents, without compromising the quality of services that we provide.
“The sale of Stone Cross will generate a significant capital return that can be reinvested into other priority areas and make substantial savings in running costs.”
Members of the Richmond area planning committee approved proposals to redevelop the former council offices into a care home in May this year.
The sale does not affect the adjacent leisure centre or the former caretaker’s property which are located next to the Stone Cross site.
In April last year, North Yorkshire Council relocated its customer services hub from Stone Cross to the Campus Building at Treadmills, on the site of the town’s former prison. Located in the heart of Northallerton town centre, the hub was the first of its kind within North Yorkshire to be purpose-designed to provide easier access for customers.
A number of back-office services previously based at Stone Cross have largely relocated to the County Hall campus.
The civic centre site was offered to the market last year, with sale negotiations led by the council’s property consultancy, Align.
