Former council headquarters could be sold to care home provider
An under-utilised council building could be sold to a national care home provider after a prospective deal was brokered by Align Property Partners.
The civic centre at Stone Cross in Northallerton served as the headquarters for the former Hambleton District Council before the authority was merged into North Yorkshire Council in 2023.
The building no longer has an operational need with many council services that were previously run at the Rotary Way site, including a customer services hub, having already relocated to other premises to better serve customers.
Align put the building on the market earlier this year via informal tender after the council agreed it could provide valuable funds that can be reinvested and help reduce annual running costs.
Senior councillors are now due to decide whether to agree to sell the building to an interested care home provider when they meet on Tuesday, July 15.
Commercial agency director at Align, Dan Clinch, said: “From the outset, the priority has been to find a buyer that is interested in making the most of this iconic site, whilst bringing the best possible benefit to the council and local community.
“We are now in a position where a nationally renowned care home provider has agreed a deal to buy the site and hope to use it for a care home to support North Yorkshire’s ageing population.
“I would like to thank everybody who has been involved throughout the process, and look forward to seeing the end result.”
North Yorkshire Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, whose responsibilities include finance and assets, explained why the authority is looking to sell the building.
Cllr Dadd said: “Following local government reorganisation and the launch of this authority, we inherited a large number of buildings that were no longer fully used.
“It is imperative that we look carefully at the buildings we own and ensure all the existing space is used as efficiently as possible, so that we maximise the quality of services we provide to residents as well as reduce running costs.
“The sale of the civic centre at Stone Cross would provide a significant amount of money that can be reinvested into other key areas, as well as generate crucial revenue savings.
“As a result, we will consider the proposals carefully when the executive meets next week.”
For more information, please visit North Yorkshire Council’s website at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/news/2025/plans-care-home-development-former-council-base.
