Sweet deal at Terry’s Chocolate Works as £7m care site approved

CARE company Springfield Healthcare Group has been given the green light for a £7m care village at the former Terry’s Chocolate Works in York.

Terry’s former head office building, built in 1926, will be converted, creating 100 jobs.

The development, which is in conjunction with Henry Boot Developments, will be open by March 2017, having applied for planning in June.

It will provide 82 care suites and eight apartments, housing 1,000 people.

The Business Growth Fund is providing £2.2m funding for the development, having supported Springfield since 2012. The rest of the funding has been provided through HSBC facilities.

Graeme Lee, chief executive of Springfield, said: “Springfield has a real vision and passion for this building that will put older people at the forefront of development for once. It provides a unique opportunity to offer innovative dementia care in an exciting environment that will resonate with elderly residents.

“We want to transform the way people think about care homes and set a new benchmark for care environments moving forward.”

An entire new floor will be built incorporating a roof terrace and rooms with raised floors.

Tony Whetham of architects, Archial Norr, said: “The building was in a terrible state of repair and needed someone with vision and determination to create a viable commercial use for it.”

Local York contractor, Simpsons, has just been appointed and other advisors to the project include Ward Hadaway Solicitors, Park Place Corporate Finance, Williams Property Consultants, Sagars Accountants, Turner Townsend and Squire Patton Boggs.

Springfield Healthcare Group was behind the Seacroft Grange Care Village in East Leeds.