FORMER MATTHEW CHARLTON SITE, STATION ROAD, HEXHAM
Proposed Care Home for the Elderly
Welcome to Hadrian Healthcare’s public consultation website. This site has been created to share information about the proposals for a new luxury residential care home for older people on the site of the former Matthew Charlton building supplies premises on Station Road, Hexham.
About Hadrian Healthcare
Hadrian Healthcare was established in 1996 with the aim of providing high-quality care homes for older people. The family-owned business specialises in the design, construction, and operation of some of the finest care homes in the UK. To date, we have designed and operated more than 35 care homes, with two of the most recent developments winning the prestigious Knight Frank UK Luxury Care Home of the Year Award.
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Hadrian Healthcare is widely regarded as outstanding within the care sector. Our forward-thinking and innovative designs provide residents with a unique combination of exceptional accommodation and personalised care. Alongside creating beautiful, homely, and luxurious environments, we remain committed to ensuring that every resident feels genuinely at home. More information about Hadrian Healthcare can be found on their website.
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Our guiding principle is simple: “Large enough to make a difference, small enough to care.”
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The management team are passionate about their work and are looking forward to creating a bespoke, high-quality care home in Penrith, designed to serve the community for many years to come.
We are in the process of preparing a planning application to submit to Northumberland County Council following a pre-application enquiry submitted to them earlier this year.
The proposals are not yet final, and we are inviting your views through the online survey on the “Have Your Say” page. All comments will be reviewed and considered as we shape the final plans before submitting the full application to the council later this Summer.
This consultation will run until Saturday 20th June 2026.
The Site
The proposed development site consists of approximately 0.4ha (1 acre) of brownfield land located within central Hexham. The site is known as the ‘Former Matthew Charlton Site’ after its previous use as a builder’s merchant. The site has however been vacant for a number of years.
The vacant site consists of mostly open hardstanding with an industrial warehouse building on the eastern edge. The site also contains a smaller, older stone building in the southeast corner of the site. The site is accessed via Station Road to the east and is situated in a town centre location with excellent links to the bus station, rail station and local services.
In 2023, McCarthy & Stone submitted a planning application for the development of 46 retirement apartments. This proposal was for self-contained flats for over 65s rather than a care home. The application was considered by Northumberland County Council’s Planning Committee in 2024 where it was voted to approve the application. However, McCarthy & Stone have since decided not to proceed with the development and put the site back on the market.
Hadrian Healthcare subsequently acquired the site and are preparing their own proposal to submit to the Council’s planning department for consideration.
The Development Proposals
The proposal seeks to redevelop the brownfield site off Station Road through the construction of a new three storey, residential care home. The development would involve the demolition of the 20th Century warehouse buildings on the eastern part of the site, but would retain and utilise the older stone building in the south eastern corner.
The home will provide 75 spacious bedrooms with private en-suite bathrooms, alongside a range of high-quality facilities including a residents’ café bar, beauty salon, library area, and private dining room. It will cater for older people with a variety of needs, including specialist dementia care and respite facilities.
Although the design is still being finalised, the initial proposals aim to reflect the same high-quality standards seen across Hadrian Healthcare’s previous developments. The vision is to create a true “home away from home” for residents, with a design that is both welcoming and in keeping with the local character and community.
The development will also include 25 car parking spaces, with dedicated bays for drivers with disabilities and facilities for electric vehicle charging, located to the west of
the building near the entrance. In addition, the proposals incorporate landscaped gardens for residents, with wider grounds designed to enhance both amenity and ecology.
Technical Considerations
A range of updated technical surveys are being undertaken for the site and will be used to influence the detail of the scheme.
The surveys identify the site constraints and outline mitigation and technical specification for the development. Detailed reports will be submitted with the planning application and assessed by Northumberland County Council.
Ecology and Landscaping
Detailed ecological surveys, including for bats, are being carried out for the site, looking at what species and habitats are on the site now, and what opportunity there is to increase biodiversity as part of the development. However, based on initial assessments, the proposed development is set to deliver significant ecological enhancements, well beyond statutory requirements.
The planning application will be accompanied by a detailed landscaping plan and a full ecological assessment of the site, including assessments for protected species.
Connectivity and Transport
The site is located in Hexham’s town centre, within walking distance of the Hexham Railway Station and Hexham Bus Station, together with local shops, amenities and services on Priestpopple.
It is proposed to access the site from Station Road to the east, in a similar location to the existing access to the yard. This access will lead to 25 car parking spaces for use of staff and visitors. This will include two accessible bays, and four electric vehicle charging points.
A full assessment of the proposed access and highways impact will be submitted with the planning application, however at this stage, no insurmountable highways or access issues are anticipated.
Flood Risk and Drainage
The entire site lies within Flood Risk Zone 1 which is the category at the lowest risk of flooding.
As part of the planning application, engineers will undertake
a thorough assessment of the way the proposed development may impact the drainage systems and surface water flows of both the site and the surrounding areas to ensure the development reduces the risk of flooding on the site and nearby.
Have your say
Thank you for reviewing the initial proposals for this development. Your feedback is important in assisting the development and evolution of the scheme.
Hadrian Healthcare is committed to engaging with the community and it is important to us that local people can view and comment on the proposals before a planning application is submitted.
This consultation will close on Saturday 20th June 2026, and any comments received after this date may not be reviewed.
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Once the consultation period is over, we will review the comments received and use these to shape the final proposals before a planning application is submitted later this year.
Northumberland County Council will also undertake their own, independent consultation as part of the planning application process once submitted.
