THE former Clock hotel will be demolished to make room for a care home, if planning permission is granted.
As the WHT revealed last May, Runwood Homes bought the 96-bed building after the former Quality Hotel’s parent company went into administration.
Runwood Homes, which runs over 30 care homes mainly in Hertfordshire and Essex, is looking to build both a nursing home and 16 assisted living apartments on the site, close to the A1(M) at Welwyn.
Plans submitted to Welwyn Hatfield Council show a potential for 129 rooms, with the floor space increasing to almost double.
Runwood Homes managing director Logan Logeswaran said: “This is a unique project.
“We want a number of buildings, a care home with nursing beds, some assisted living apartments and we are looking to have some beds available for when people need to leave hospital but cannot go straight home.”
Mr Logeswaran added he hoped work would start on site within three months of planning permission being granted.
He added: “It’s a challenge, but it’s a nice site we can develop the home.”
? Our pictures show, top, the Clock in its heyday and, right, as it is today ravaged by vandals.
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