A YORK day care centre for people with learning disabilities is to be put up for sale and could raise at least £400,000 for City of York Council.

The Hebden Rise Day Centre, in Acomb, is set to close this year, and its services will be transferred to the St Dymphna's nursery site in Holgate.

Coun Quentin Macdonald, executive member for resources, is being asked to approve the sale of the centre at a meeting with his advisory panel on February 21.

The council plans to sell a freehold interest in the land to the highest bidder at a reserve price of £400,000. The site, with its 1967 brick building, has already attracted interest from one developer - who has submitted a planning application to transform it into 21 flats and houses.

John Urwin, a senior surveyor for the council, said in a report that possible plans to turn the site into office or retail use had been ruled out.

Costs of the new St Dymphna's nursery are estimated to reach £580,000, of which it is hoped £350,000 will come from the sale of the Hebden Rise centre.

The remaining sale money will go into the council's capital funding pot.

Last Thursday, Coun Sue Galloway, executive member for social services, approved new staffing measures for the new nursery.

Work at St Dymphna's is due to start in April, and is expected to finish in November.

The new nursery will be much smaller than its predecessor, and half of the Hebden Rise centre's customers have yet to find alternative provision.

The council says the new building will save running costs, which will be used to help ousted customers find new facilities.

Updated: 10:11 Monday, February 14, 2005