A PROPOSAL has been put forward to knock down the building which housed luxury health club Le Spa to turn it into a huge care home.

Developers are readying plans to transform the site at Stratton Place, Cirencester, into a 64-bed care home with 36 separate assisted living units, eight care suites and a 62-space underground car park.

The site has been empty since 2011 when Le Spa shut its doors citing financial troubles.

The 1.3 hectare site was in the hands of the receivers until 2014 when it was bought by Court House Care.

Since then, a number of applications have been made for the site, including one proposal to change the building into one home and another to build seven houses.

Court House Care and Octopus Healthcare had previously been granted permission to the turn the 19th century house into a 60-bed care home, but have since decided that renovating is not economical.

The companies say that over the four years the site has fallen into disrepair – it has been targeted by vandals, its gardens have become overgrown and the roof has sustained serious damage.

The house, most of which is thought to date from 1912, is not a listed building but is a non-designated heritage asset - a building considered of merit to the area

At last month’s Cotswold District Council (CDC) planning meeting, district councillor for Stratton Patrick Coleman raised concerns that the site may “deteriorate beyond repair before anyone moves in to develop it”.

The application is being readied to be submitted to CDC planners in the coming days.

A spokesman for the developers said: “Our proposals would regenerate the 1.3 hectare site, respond to the growing need for high-quality care facilities and breathe new life into a neglected corner of Cirencester.”

What are your thoughts on the proposal to demolish Stratton place? Email Jack Pitts at jpi@wiltsglosstandard.co.uk with your views.