A VILLAGE could benefit from a £2m care home if planners grant approval.

Architects in charge of the project, on the site of the former social club at Stones End, Evenwood, near Barnard Castle, believe the development of the 67-bed care home could create between 30 and 40 jobs.

As well as providing care for elderly people, the proposed care home would also be home to young people with disabilities, the only home of its type in Teesdale.

The 67 rooms would be en-suite and the home would also have communal rooms, a hairdresser and a laundry.

The outline application has been submitted to the council by Rahul Sharma, of Durham Care Line.

Iain Murphy, principal of architects Alston Murphy Associates, said negotiations with council planners and local residents were continuing because various concerns had been raised, including problems with access and parking and there were some aspects of the design of the three-storey sections of the proposed building that had caused concern.

Mr Murphy said: "We hope to resolve the design issues before middle to late May and hopefully then gain the planners' support.

"It's very much a community-based building and will provide quite a lot of employment.

"It will really provide a facility for local people and it's nice to do facilities for young people with disabilities as there are not many facilities for that need in the area."

Evenwood and Barony Parish Council has no objections to the application.

However, the highways authority has objected because of concerns about parking at the site.

There have also been seven letters of objection from residents, again about the design of the building and parking and access.

Planning officer Wendy Thompson said the application may be dealt with under delegated powers, rather than be discussed at a meeting of the planning committee.

She said: "We are asking for some amendments and we're having discussions with the architect as there are some issues which need resolving.

"It's a major application so we have 13 weeks to make a decision rather than the usual eight weeks."