THE new owners of Lindsey School have announced plans that could see residents move into Britain's first care home with a full street scene as early as May 2015.
Yorkare Homes Ltd has exchanged contracts with North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) – former owners of the Clee Road building – and have picked up the keys.
The sale is due to be officially completed on Friday, and development director Laurence Garton hopes that a planning application will be submitted in four to five months.
If accepted, Mr Garton hopes that building work could start next May and residents could move in a year later.
He said: "The main thing that mattered to people we talked to was that we maintain the old structure, which we are, so we hope that will be a positive in the process."
NELC put the building on the market with Scott's Property in June last year with a guide price of £750,000 to £1 million and 11 companies made bids.
Some included knocking the building down and replacing it with homes, but NELC chose Yorkare's plan for a £6 million care unit with 80 beds within the existing building – which will also create jobs.
The original school opened in 1925 and Yorkare will refurbish and retain it, but smaller buildings – that were added later on – will be demolished.
Mr Garton said that they plan to create a full street scene inside the gym and assembly hall, which will have a fully operational pub, cafe, cinema and games room, hairdressers and other stores.
He added: "Other companies have put shops inside care homes before but nothing on this scale – it will be Britain's first of this type.
"There will be fake grass, working shops and other shop fronts to stimulate memory for dementia sufferers.
"It will also give residents independence and somewhere to meet family members – all under cover in a safe environment.
"The money that the shops take will go into a residents' fund which will pay for trips out."
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