A LANDMARK hotel in Fordingbridge looks likely to become a substantial care home for the elderly.

Al Donnelly, proprietor of Fritham House nursing home at Fritham in the New Forest, is buying the Ashburn Hotel in Station Road, Fordingbridge, from Garry and Terri Robson.

He has submitted plans to demolish the 20-bedroom hotel and replace it with a 50-bedroom brick-and-tile care home with eight separate close-care flats and staff sleeping quarters on the hillside site.

The lower ground floor would be devoted to car parking, kitchen and stores, along with staff accommodation.

The upper ground floor would house 29 bedrooms built around a quadrangle with separate lounge, dining and sitting areas.

First-floor accommodation shows 21 bedrooms, two lounges, hairdressing salon and dining room with terrace overlooking the quadrangle.

The second floor would be devoted to eight apartments, three with two bedrooms and the remainder with one.

Grounds would be landscaped with some paved parking spaces at the eastern side of the site.

In addition to owning Fritham House, Mr Donnelly runs Dunwood Manor and Waverley Lodge care homes at Sherfield English and Cedar Lawn at Romsey, all in Hampshire.

Mr Robson and his wife have owned the Ashburn Hotel for 21 years and are now going to concentrate their efforts on their restaurant, Little Mere, at Gorley.

"We've had a good time there but in recent years the demand for the facilities has declined somewhat and when we were thinking about putting it on the market were were approached about change of use," said Mr Robson.

The plans will be considered by Fordingbridge Town Council planning committee members and then by New Forest District Council.

Mr Donnelly said he was delighted to be returning to Fordingbridge after shutting a previous nursing home in the old cottage hospital.

There is great demand for care homes as the numbers of elderly people increases. The number of over-85s is set to increase by 30 per cent in 10 years.

"Within the New Forest area there is a need for 30 homes in the next 10 years," he said.

"If we get planning permission it will probably be more impressive than the hotel which, with its 1960s extension on the side, isn't too clever."