A council has approved plans to convert a troubled former care home into 12 apartments.

An initial application to demolish the rear extensions and convert the run-down Belgarth Nursing Home in Wheatley Lane Road, Barrowford, into 14 flats was submitted to Pendle Council in December 2021, with the consultation period ending in July.

The application proposed to reconfigure part of the roof and extensions to the existing building following demolition works, with applicant Omar Ahmad, of Belgarth Care Homes Ltd, seeking to transform the former care home into one one-bedroom, 12 two-bedroom, and one three-bedroom flats.

These plans were amended, reducing the number of apartments to 12, and were approved by Pendle Council last week.

Back in July, the owners of the care home were ordered to pay more than £7,300 for failing to comply with a Community Protection Notice.

Belgarth Care Homes Limited and Sage Care Homes Limited pleaded guilty to all the charges at Burnley Magistrates' Court after Pendle Council took them to court over the dilapidated condition and security of the former nursing home.

The council had described the building as "both dangerous and an eyesore" and said it was plagued by anti-social behaviour, including people breaking windows and climbing onto a roof, causing nearby residents grave concerns.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust was consulted on the proposals and requested a contribution to the sum of £10,387 to help support the health needs of any additional residents, under the terms of a section 106 agreement.

Lancashire County Council’s school's planning team were also consulted and requested contributions be made by the applicant to support any need for additional school places.

The county council’s highways department raised concerns and objected in relation to the number of car parking spaces provided and increase in pedestrian footfall.

The plans were amended and approval was granted on the proviso that the car parking concerns would be satisfied.

Barrowford Parish Council offered support for the application in principle, stating that the former nursing home had become a “magnet for vandals and teenagers and a blight on local residents” which could only be addressed by making use of the site for the future.

However, the Parish Council iterated: “The retention of this large local landowners dwelling is a step in the right direction although the number of dwellings could be argued as excessive.

“The Parish Council would support this application if the applicant commenced work in a timely manner as local residents have suffered the effects of the derelict building for several years and ask could this be enforced by planning condition.”