Dunluce Healthcare has unveiled major plans to build an £8 million nursing home in Newtownards which will accommodate 80 residents and create 100 permanent jobs.

It is the latest development by the Bangor-based firm which last year opened a new dementia wing at Oakmont Lodge in Bangor West following a £2m investment.

The new home will be built on the site of the former Ards FC football ground.

The facility will cater for a range of nursing, residential, respite, and convalescent care needs when it opens next year, with specialist services designed for those with dementia.

Ryan Smith, Chief Executive of Dunluce Healthcare said:

“We are very pleased to have secured planning permission for this development which has significance not just for Newtownards, but for the wider nursing home sector.

“Placing our residents and their families at the heart of everything we do, it is our mission to provide the highest quality care in the most comfortable and modern surroundings in Northern Ireland.

“Every care has therefore been made in the design of this facility, from the standard of finish in the rooms and communal areas to the landscaping of the outdoor space, so that residents can expect luxurious living, closer to that of a hotel than a traditional nursing home.”

Ards and North Down Mayor Cllr Trevor Cummings welcomed the plans.

He said:

“A development on this scale is a hugely welcome boost to Newtownards and the surrounding area, both in terms of the provision of a new care home and the number of jobs it will service permanently and during the construction phase.

“I am particularly pleased that the project will regenerate land that has lain derelict for a number of years, providing benefits for our entire borough while providing a home for some of the most vulnerable people in society.”

Building work is due to commence in June this year and will take around 18 months to complete.