Go ahead to turn former Greetham Post Office and Oak House Care Home into houses and a flat

Plans to turn empty buildings into houses have been given the green light.

An application to convert the former Oak House Care Home and the old Post Office in Greetham into a flat and houses was submitted to Rutland County Council in February.

The Howard Family Investment Company wants to turn the site in Main Street, which includes a paved car park and a garden, into five properties.

Oak House Care Home, which provided accommodation for up to 25 residents, closed about two years ago and has been on the market since then, but there has been no interest from existing or prospective operators.

In the design and access statement, the applicant said: “Low local authority fees for residential care have meant that only very large care homes - around 50 plus bed spaces - are now viable, and even then with a significant proportion of private fee paying residents.

“Commercial banks will now only help finance new or current operations with more than 40 bed spaces.”

The Post Office was put up for sale in 2021 but closed in June 2022, after the one offer made fell through.

According to the applicant, the renovations needed to bring the existing building up to current standards for trading would not be financially viable.

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The former care home site has been extended over time, resulting in a mix of building styles, sizes and materials.

As part of the plans, a significant amount of the building would be demolished and the homes would vary in size, from a one-bedroom apartment to a four-bedroom house.

Although neighbours submitted their support for the empty buildings to be brought back to use, a number of objections were made.

These included concerns about parking, green spaces, the number of houses proposed and flooding.

However, planning officers at Rutland County Council believe the plans are ‘acceptable’ and gave their approval.

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