PLANS to turn an abandoned factory site in Hamworthy into a housing estate and care home were unveiled by developers yesterday.

Barratt Homes wants to build 104 new homes on the former Crown Closures factory, which has remained derelict since shutting in 2015.

The scheme, which was shown at a public exhibition yesterday, includes a mix of homes, from two to four-bedroomed houses and apartments.

Barratt also wants to provide a 66-bed care home on the corner of Hoyal Road and Lake Road.

Barratt Home planning head Stuart Goodwill said: “Demand for homes in the borough of Poole is high and we believe the former Crown Closures site provides the perfect opportunity to address that need.

“The brownfield site has been identified as suitable for this type of project in the draft Poole Local Plan.

“We are looking forward to meeting the public to share the proposals and get their input.”

The draft Poole Local Plan, which sets out the council’s preferred sites for 14,200 new homes up until 2033, was agreed by the Borough of Poole (BOP) at a meeting on Tuesday evening.

This draft plan should be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for approval, with a view to the council officially adopting it next year.

Barratt Homes have not yet submitted any official planning application for the Crown Closures site - today’s exhibition is part of the community engagement process prior to any submission.

The Crown Closures factory, Lake Road, employed 120 people before production was moved abroad two years ago.

At its height, the company - which had gone under many names over the years including Wallis Tin, Metal Box, Carnaud Metal Box and Crown Food Europe -employed more than 1,200 workers.

When the factory finally closed there were calls to preserve the building’s brick chimney, as a memorial to Poole’s industrial past.

Today’s public exhibition is scheduled for Hamworthy Liberal Club, Blandford Road, Poole, from 1-7.30pm.