A FORMER Carlisle care home - closed as a new £6m city centre was opened - is to be auctioned off.

The former Langrigg House home, on Langrigg Road in Morton, has been put up for sale by Cumbria County Council, with a guide price of £150,000.

It is being auctioned by the company Pugh and will feature as part of a sale in Manchester next month.

In particulars for the site, auctioneers say the site may be suitable for alternative uses to its previous life, or for redevelopment, subject to planning permission.

The 44-bed home closed earlier his year after residents were transferred to the nearby Brunrigg Court centre, created by the county council as part of an overhaul of its care home operations for older people.

Paul Thompson, managing director of Pugh, said: “This is a great site in a really good location: close to Carlisle centre and the M6 motorway, with an infants and junior school on the doorstep, both rated as ‘good’ by Ofsted.

“The relevant planning consent would need to be obtained, of course, but this site is certainly an excellent prospect for a new residential scheme or other redevelopment.”

Supporters hope that interest in the potential for the site will be keen.

The site will feature among more than 100 lots for sale by Pugh at the AJ Bell Stadium, Salford, on December 3.

Situated on a one-acre site of landscaped grounds and gardens close, the two-storey property covers 19,000 sq ft.

There were concerns about the home closure as it happened.

However, Cumbria County Council has insisted that its new 60-bedroom home provides more modern quality care for older adults, especially those who need support with dementia and other complex care needs. It has been praised by residents.

n Dementia warning: Page 17