Partner Article

£1.25m Whitley Bay facelift brings 30 jobs

A £1.25m facelift to a derelict building on Whitley Bay’s historic sea front is set to create 30 new jobs.

The building, formerly a care home called Burnside Lodge, has been purchased by Northridge Care Ltd.

It will be the first of a string of sites the Newcastle-based company hopes to acquire across the region in the next 18 months.

Building work has already started on the Whitley Bay site, which has laid derelict for over seven years, to transform and extend the site into a 20 bedroom respite home.

It is expected to be complete in August 2011 and, once up and running, will create up to 30 jobs.

Managing director of Northridge Care Ltd, Neill Winch said: “With the current regeneration of Whitley Bay, the transformation of the site will fit in superbly with the area.

“Locals are breathing a sigh of relief that the abandoned site is being transformed into a place which will provide an important service to its users and their families.

“The reason it has stood empty for so long is that all previous applications have related to the night time economy, such as night clubs or casinos, and therefore have been refused planning permission. This provision gives something back to people of the area, and will improve the look of the streetscape massively.”

The facility will provide a short break service for adults under the age of 65 with complex and multiple health needs who rely on daily domiciliary care.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .