A DISUSED hospital site could be transformed into a multi-million pound mixed-use retail and leisure complex.

A public consultation on the plans for the site of the old Rutson Hospital in the centre of Northallerton is planned for next week.

Teesside-based property development company Jomast have come up with a scheme that will bring a new, larger Marks and Spencer Simply Food store with cafe to the town as well as a new pub and restaurant.

The scheme would include a public courtyard garden and parking for 40 vehicles as well as highways and public access improvements to Brompton Road and Friarage Street.

The hospital closed to patients in 2008 and the old primary care trust put it on the market in 2012 after hopes it could be redeveloped for voluntary organisations fell by the weayside.

Jomast described their scheme as a key development opportunity for Northallerton, creating new employment opportunities and securing M&S’s long term future in the town.

Jonathan Wallace, senior director at planning consultants Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners said: “The redevelopment site is located within a conservation area and lies in a sensitive location from a heritage perspective.

“We have therefore spent considerable time developing a scheme in consultation with Officers at Hambleton District Council.”

Depending on the results of the community consultation a planning application for the site is expected to be submitted next month.

Members of the public are invited to view and comment on the Jomast proposals on June 18, between 2pm and 7pm, at the Golden Lion Hotel in Northallerton.