Plans Submitted To Redevelop Former Ballymoney Nursing Home Into Specialist Care Facility

Plans have been submitted to redevelop a former nursing home site in Ballymoney into a modern care facility providing specialist accommodation for people with mental health needs and physical disabilities.

The proposal relates to the former Model Nursing Home at 1 Portrush Road, which has been vacant for several years and has suffered significant deterioration, including fire damage to parts of the building.

The application seeks permission for the partial demolition of the existing structure, along with extensive renovation and new-build extensions. The development would deliver two dedicated care units, each providing 16 ensuite bedrooms, with improved space standards and accessibility.

According to the planning statement, the scheme also includes restoring an existing stone barn on the site, which would be retained as a central architectural feature and repurposed for communal use.

Additional elements of the proposal include staff and visitor facilities, management and operational areas, and health and wellbeing spaces. External works would involve landscaping, gardens, boundary treatments, car parking and servicing arrangements.

The site is located within the development boundary of Ballymoney, at the junction of Portrush Road and Queens Avenue, in a predominantly residential area. It is currently screened by mature trees and vegetation, much of which is proposed for retention as part of the redevelopment.

Planning documents state that the existing building layout, which includes small, compartmentalised rooms across varying levels, is not suitable for modern care standards, particularly for the provision of care for people with physical disabilities, which requires accessible design and larger spaces.

The application has been submitted by Woodgreen Healthcare, which purchased the site in 2025 with the intention of delivering updated care facilities to meet local demand.

If approved, the development would reuse a previously developed site, combining retained structures with new construction, centred on a courtyard design intended to provide accessible outdoor space for residents.