Hertfordshire County Council to sell off vacant former Elmhurst care home in Bishop’s Stortford

The sale of a former care home in Bishop’s Stortford could generate more than £3m for Hertfordshire County Council.

Elmhurst – owned by the county council and formerly operated by Quantum Care – is no longer in use and has been vacant for some time.

On Monday (Dec 2) a meeting of the county council’s cabinet heard that the authority had no current or expected need for the building in Windhill. It was agreed it be declared “surplus to requirements” – and could be sold off.

Built in the late 1990s, councillors heard that the 61-bed home was designed to more “limited” spatial standards compared to modern care homes.

As a result it was reported to have been “deprioritised” by Quantum Care and by the county council, with the building having been handed back to the council in October 2023.

Nevertheless, it was reported that sale of the property as a care home could generate an income in excess of £3m.

According to an officers’ report, planning advice suggests that alternative uses for the site would be considered only if it were to be proved there was no continuing requirement for a care home.

But the report suggests there may be interest in the site from developers looking to acquire the property for a residential development scheme.

The former care home shares an entrance and service road with Bishop’s House Day Centre. Any disposal will need to include an agreement on access rights and contributions to the repair and maintenance of the shared service road.