A NURSING home that shut down last year is set to be demolished - to make way for a new care home.

Moorlands Care Home in Strensall, which was home to 37 residents, announced it was shutting last September due to staffing issues.

City of York Council successfully found suitable accommodation for all the residents, as well as people at the recently closed Amelia House Care home, at a cost of £431,000.

Crown Care Group has now applied for planning permission to build a replacement 58-bedroom nursing home at the site.

The application says: “Care of the elderly has been a prominent feature in the news of late and it is known that in the next 20 years the number of elderly people requiring care accommodation will double.

“This development offers the opportunity of providing a building of quality for Strensall, as well as providing much needed care and employment, as well as contributing substantially to the local community.

“The home will provide care for the elderly, those with dementia and those requiring nursing care, provided the necessary nursing staff can be employed.”

In September 2018 a spokesman for Moorlands Care Home said it was struggling to employ people in York and that there had been a 90 per cent fall in nursing home staff coming to work in the UK from Europe since 2017.

Planning documents say the building will provide accommodation on two floors and will also feature a hair salon, gym, cinema area and cafe. The existing access point off Moor Lane will be kept and there will be 18 car parking bays and 12 cycle spaces.

A statement says: “The home will provide care for those not only wishing for residential care but also dementia and nursing care.

“The main lounges have an outlook to the enclosed gardens. There is a dining room on each floor. It is a sad fact that the majority of residents inevitably are quite poorly and the majority on the upper floors would be bed-bound. The main outside activity will be provided by the courtyard garden providing a safe, secure space for residents.” A council report says the loss of the 149 beds at the two closed care homes has put pressure on capacity in the city and highlights the need to support new nursing home proposals.