Care Home near Stowmarket Could Become Residential Property

Someone wants to change a care home into a house. They sent the plan to Mid Suffolk District Council. It’s for Westhorpe Hall, on The Street, near Stowmarket. The council got it last Wednesday.

Westhorpe Hall is a special, old building. It’s been a care home since 1985. Before that, twenty-one people lived there. It closed three years ago for repairs. They hoped to reopen it, but it didn’t work out. The lease ended last July.

Now, someone wants to buy the hall. They want it to be a house again. The inside already has bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens, so its layout will stay the same. The new owners think it will work as a family home.

They say it’s not a good place for a care home. The building wasn’t changed well for that use. They also think a house is a better fit. Changing it could help save the building.

The historic hall has ponds around it. A long time ago, a great house stood there. Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor built it. The old house fell apart in the 1700s. Then, it became a farmhouse like the hall today.

The hall is listed as a business place. But, it hasn’t sold. That’s why they want to change it. A change might help someone buy it. They will talk about this plan on March 3.