A “SUBSTANTIAL” development of new homes is set to be built on the site of a historic care home in Southend.

Plans are being drawn up for the new housing at the site of Nazareth House Care Home, in London Road, which closed in 2020 after 147 years.

It is not known whether the historic building will be demolished under the plans or converted.

Bosses at Southend-based estate agents Ayers and Cruiks say a sale is under contract and plans will be submitted in the coming weeks for the residential development.

Meg Davidson, Conservative spokesman for housing at Southend Council, welcomed the news.

She said: “It’s a big site, perhaps bigger than one thinks.

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“I think it’s likely to be highrise flats and quite some number of homes.

“I expect it to be a substantial development and we do need more housing. It would be inkeeping with the area in terms of both high rise and redeveloping the city. It is near the city centre and other amenities so it would make sense to have homes there.”

Mrs Davidson suggested that if the plan was for high-rise flats it could result in hundreds of homes at the site.

Nazareth House was known in recent years as being home to the mother of Sir David Amess, the late MP for Southend West who was a great advocate of Nazareth House.

It shut in February 2020, following a battle between the Nazareth Care Charitable Trust and Southend Council to have the building demolished and a new facility built in its place.

The plans were refused by the council in October 2018.

Nazareth House was established in Southend in 1873 as a home for the elderly as well as for “sickly or incurable” children.

The website of Southend based estate agents Ayers and Cruiks states that a small cemetery area will be retained on the site.

Steve Ayers, director at the estate agents, said: “After a marketing campaign it’s now under contract with a party subject to planning permission.

“The application should be with Southend Council in the next month and some time in April.

“It’s set to be a residentialbased development.”

Mr Ayers declined to name the prospective buyer of the site despite being pressed by the Echo.