Crumbling Catholic care home set for demolition and rebuild in Leeds

More than 60 people had to be moved out when structural problems were found at Mount St Joseph’s Catholic Care Home in Headingley.

Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of nuns, said reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was discovered in the roof.

The organisation, which has helped elderly people in Leeds for 160 years, has applied for planning permission for a demolition of existing buildings.

The scheme would see a new sheltered housing scheme, along with a chapel and convent, built at the site on Shire Oak Road.

A planning report said: “This specialist accommodation and on-site service is designed to maximise and foster independence, providing quality, tailored care and support as required.”

The project would provide 25 sheltered housing apartments for people aged 65 and over, along with convent accommodation.

It would be paid for with the development of 46 separate rented apartments.

The scheme would include a courtyard, bistro and meeting rooms with views onto nearby grade II-listed Hinsley Hall.

The report said: “The proposal will deliver much-needed sheltered extra care housing for the elderly poor.

“These proposals are vital to enable the Little Sisters of the Poor, a registered charity, to continue their mission to serve the elderly poor of Leeds, as they have done for over 160 years.”

Mount St Joseph’s was first built in 1971 to house elderly people with limited financial means.