HUNDREDS of people visited a presentation to see plans for the former Terry’s chocolate factory.

The meeting was held at St Chad’s church on Monday and allowed visitors to find out more about the upcoming Chocolate Works scheme, which will see hundreds of apartments and a new care home created at the derelict site.

Under the scheme, the 4,000 square foot former HQ building at the front of the development, which faces into Bishopthorpe Road, will be transformed into a Springfield Healthcare home with 14 apartments and 70 care suites.

Graeme Lee, chief executive of Springfield Healthcare, said there would also be an indoor courtyard or piazza, numerous shops and a second floor would be built on top of the building for extra accommodation.

He said: “I love the fact we’re not tucking old people at the back. People should aspire to live somewhere like this. I’m trying to change the perception of how care is seen and delivered and want people to choose to come here rather than be forced into a home.

“The environment will not feel like a care home at all, it will feel like a market square. People will sit and have a coffee in a coffee shop, not sitting in a lounge.”

As well as the care home, developers Henry Boot will convert buildings on the site to apartments and town houses, including the creation of flats within the Terry’s clock tower.

One local resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I think it’s interesting.

“It’s good to see it being brought back into use after so long in disrepair. I think it’s all surprising, changing use of the buildings into use as apartments and a care home is very useful. They don’t seem to have any businesses or factory units as such. We were expecting more local businesses.”

Another resident visiting the display said: “It’s been very positive.

“There seem to be a lot of residential apartments but I would think people would want more houses than flats. I would have liked to have seen more semi-detached and detached houses just to balance the apartments and flats out.”