ANOTHER nursing home near York may close to make way for a luxury property, with the loss of a further 14 care beds.

Chris and Kay Flanagan have decided to call it a day at Rufforth Manor Nursing Home, in Wetherby Road, after 16 years.

The closure would be another body blow to City of York Council, which is desperately trying to reduce the number of hospital beds being blocked.

There are currently 40 beds blocked by patients at York Hospital who are well enough to leave the ward, but have nowhere suitable to go.

Twenty of these are the responsibility of York council, with the remainder coming under North Yorkshire County Council.

The change of use application, submitted by Guildford Developments, is to convert the building into a luxurious six-bedroom house.

Permission has already been granted for the construction of two large five-bedroom properties at the rear of the nursing home.

Mr Flanagan said: "We've not worked out a timescale for leaving just yet - we're just putting our toe in the pot.

"When we finally close it will be done in conjunction with the relevant care services so our residents are found somewhere else to go.

"We have enjoyed our time at the home, but like everybody else we look forward to our retirement."

Rob Hurren, the council's assistant director of adult services, said they had not been aware of the application.

"This has come as a big surprise to us as we had not been given any information about it," he told the Evening Press.

"Mr Flanagan told me he had made no definite decision over the future of the nursing home.

"But if the plan goes ahead we would wish to negotiate with him sufficient time to find suitable alternative arrangements for the residents."

Council planning officer Richard Graham said they required more information from Mr Flanagan about the building's suitability as a nursing home.

He said many nursing home operators struggled to continue in old buildings because of stringent government guidelines on nursing homes.

"It's simply not commercially viable for a lot of operators to continue," he said.

The Evening Press recently reported that the council had approved a £1.4m scheme to convert Clarendon Court, in The Groves, into an intermediate care facility, where residents are offered care and support without having to stay in hospital.

Updated: 11:14 Monday, July 21, 2003