Plans to transform a now-vacant veterinary clinic on the edge of Penrith into a new 75 bed retirement care home have been submitted to Westmorland and Furness Council.

The application would see the former Frame and Swift veterinary practice on Carleton Hill Road redeveloped into a 75-bed care home for older people, including specialist dementia care. The site became vacant last week after Frame and Swift relocated to a new purpose-built veterinary clinic elsewhere in the area.

The plans have been submitted by Hadrian Healthcare, a family-run care provider with homes across the north of England. The company says the development would help meet rising demand for elderly and dementia care in Cumbria, where the population is ageing faster than the national average.

The company announced last year it acquired a new site in Penrith that they planed to develop a new £15 million pound luxury care home.

The firm said the site acquired in Penrith is perfect for their proposal to develop a luxury Manor House development, offering a unique standard of luxury accommodation and care for the elderly people of Penrith and the surrounding areas.

The new luxury care home will provide private rooms with en-suites as well as a range of facilities including a garden café, hair and beauty salon, private dining, outdoor terraces, an extensive activities programme, and a client concierge service, all designed to provide an independent quality of life for residents.

 

Founder and chairman of Hadrian Healthcare Ian Watson said: "Our proposal entails a capital investment of around £15million and underlines our commitment to remaining one of the UK’s premier providers of luxury elderly accommodation and care.”

If approved, the existing now vacant veterinary clinic building would be demolished and replaced with the new purpose-built care home set within landscaped grounds, offering en-suite rooms, shared living spaces and secure outdoor areas for residents.

Supporting information submitted with the application points to a shortage of modern care home places in and around Penrith, with demand expected to increase in the coming years. The proposal would bring the vacant site back into use while adding new care capacity.

Plans have been shaped following discussions with Westmorland and Furness Council and a public consultation, which invited local residents to view the proposals and share feedback.

The proposed building would be two to three storeys high and include parking, electric vehicle charging points and landscaped gardens. Technical reports submitted with the application indicate there would be no unacceptable impacts on traffic, flooding, noise or the surrounding area.

The application is now open for consultation as part of the planning process, full details on the plans can be viewed and comment made on the Westmorland and Furness planning site at https://planningregister.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/Planning/Display/2025/2472/FPA