The properties at St Cuthbert’s Close and 22 and 24 Hencotes are no longer fit for purpose, according to social landlord Karbon Homes, and will be replaced by 38 apartments for the elderly.
The sheltered housing scheme, which includes a new access to the site off Hencotes, was given the go-ahead by planners in March and will include one and two-bedroom apartments which will be available for rent, to buy or under shared ownership arrangements.
The homes will be set over two and three storeys with a hammerhead included in the plans to allow space for delivery, refuse and emergency vehicles to turn and leave the site.
Despite calls from Hexham Town Council for the existing access, via Priestlands Lane, to be retained, Northumberland County Council’s strategic planning committee backed the proposal on a nine to two majority earlier this year.
It followed a site visit and pleas from Vince Walsh, development and regeneration officer at Karbon Homes, who said he believed the new layout would allow visitors to be greeted by a much more attractive frontage on approaching the building.
A spokesman for Karbon Homes said the demolition work, being carried out by MGL Limited, is expected to be finished by December with building work on the new apartments expected to start in March next year.
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