MORE than 50 new jobs are to be created, with a new £5 million North Yorkshire care home due to open in autumn next year.

York firms JWP Creers and Andrew Jackson Solicitors, and Yorkshire Bank's private banking centre in York, have all been involved in work to get the 64-bed care home in Scarborough off the ground.

The new centre - Maple Court - in Barrowcliff will be run by East Yorkshire-based Tony Gray, who set up the 107-bed Manor House Nursing Home in Stamford Bridge in 1984.

Mr Gray has called on the services of JWP Creers' corporate finance partner Tony Farmer for advice on the new project, after the pair worked together to raise funds and acquire and refurbish the Stamford Bridge property nearly 30 years ago, and to sell a homecare service caring for 100 clients in their own homes in North and East Yorkshire, to national healthcare provider, Barchester Healthcare, in November 2005.

Mr Gray said: “An ageing population means that there is a growing need for very high-quality facilities and top-quality nursing staff run by experienced operators. This is one reason why I have decided to re-enter this sector and have chosen Scarborough to launch this new home."

Maple Court will have specialist facilities for people living with dementia.

Mr Gray added: “My working association with Tony Farmer in establishing, developing and selling care homes goes back more than 30 years and we have once again had the top-class advice and attention to details for which he and his team is known.”

JWP Creers' corporate finance manager, Nick Barker was also involved in the project, while legal work was undertaken by Richard Mays, head of real estate at Andrew Jackson Solicitors, and corporate partner Nick Scott.

Yorkshire Bank provided a £2.9m development loan to part fund the construction, and the deal was agreed through Yorkshire Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre in York.

Construction work will start this autumn, with Scarborough family firm Appledorn Developments appointed main contractor.

Appledorn's managing director, Howard Rogers, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed for this prestigious scheme and are working with Tony Gray to create a facility which the town will be proud of.”