Wolverhampton care home which forced residents to find new homes to reopen
A care home that controversially closed four years ago, forcing residents aged up to 106 to find a new home, will get a new lease of life - as a care home.
Underhill House in Bushbury closed in January 2010 despite campaigners fighting to keep it open through a High Court battle.
But plans have been submitted by Birmingham nursing home operator MACC Care Limited to reopen it as a home and expand the site by adding a new entrance, lounge space, conservatory and bedroom wing.
Residents would also have access to a new cinema room, hair salon, multi-faith prayer room, en suite bathrooms and a sensory garden.
Under the plans, 16 new jobs will be created which the company would look to fill locally.
Underhill House closed as part of Wolverhampton City Council plans to modernise services for older people in the city, with the reason given that the building was not able to meet the modern standards for residential care and it would take a lot of money to get up to standard.
Fallings Park Labour councillor Steve Evans, who led the campaign against the home's closure, said: "It is great news that Underhill House is going to be redeveloped.
"It was unfortunate that it had to close in the first place but the planning application has come from a reliable applicant who already operates a number of care homes in the West Midlands.
"I was involved in the campaign against closing it originally and got to know some of the families, so it holds bittersweet memories for me.
"I think to see the home back up and running and hopefully better than ever is what they would have wanted.
"Of course the new vacancies are also good news, which is always welcomed."
The closure sparked national controversy as elderly residents, including the late 106-year-old Louisa Watts, were wheeled out into the snow on the coldest day of the year.
She was thought to have been the fifth oldest person in the UK when she turned 107, five months after the closure.
Millionaire businessman Trevor Beattie also launched a campaign aimed at ousting eight Wolverhampton councillors who voted against keeping the home open.
The advertising executive offered to pay £80,000 to keep it open for another year but the offer was refused by Wolverhampton City Council.
