The site of Forresters Care Home, in Southampton Road, Hythe, Nr Southampton is set to get a new lease of life after being sold by joint agents Keygrove Chartered Surveyors and Chesterton Humberts to buyers associated with the national care home group St Cloud Care plc.

Forresters had been owned and operated as a respite hotel by Rethink Mental Illness, formerly known as the National Schizophrenia Fellowship, for many years, but was closed in March 2011.  The substantial 2 & 3 storey 14,000 sq ft property sits on a secluded site of 1.72 acres within Hythe, the on the edge of New Forest.

Philip Connell, Director of St Cloud Care plc, said “we currently have 6 purpose built care homes around the country that meet all modern standards and we have been looking to expand into the south of England.  Forresters is a fantastic site, well-located to serve the substantial population around Southampton and the New Forest.   We are confident that our redevelopment proposals will result in a well equipped high-quality nursing home becoming a valued community facility over time. We hope our proposals will be welcomed locally.”

Andrew Archibald, Director of commercial property agents Keygrove Chartered Surveyors said “We were surprised by the excellent level of interest we received in this property and clearly there is strong demand for good quality modern care homes in this area of South Hampshire.”