Developers unveil bid to turn old medical centre into 14-bed shared house for 'professionals'

Gateshead Council has received an application to convert the Glenpark Medical Centre building, at 61 Ravensworth Road, into a 14 bedroom HMO. According to documents submitted to the local authority, the building has remained empty since February 2019, when the practice moved 200 metres away as part of a £20m regeneration project and merger with another facility.

Previous Local Democracy Reporting Service reporting found the proposals to merge the practice was underpinned by Glenpark being dubbed “outdated and undersized”. The new merged proactive was designed to cope with increased demand while causing the least disruption to patients.

The proposals call for 9 bedrooms on the ground floor with en suites alongside communal living spaces and a large kitchen. The first floor would accommodate a further five bedrooms.

Redworth Property Ltd have also submitted that it expects professional individuals” to occupy the rooms with a mix of ages and occupations expected. The proposals have generated 36 objections on the council’s online planning portal

The applicant’s, Redworth Property Ltd, planning statement reads: “The planning history of Ravensworth Road proves that the principle of residential development is not only acceptable but encouraged at this location. When coupled with the excellent transport links and the sustainable reuse of a brownfield asset, the proposal represents sustainable development….”

If the plans are approved, the plans also include a “good neighbour” clause to prevent anti-social behaviour. The measures will include formal warnings in cases of verified noise violations, littering, or other problems and “where necessary” the start of eviction processes.

At the moment of publication, the proposal is awaiting a decision from council officers or from the local authority’s planning and development committee.