Countryside Properties has started construction work on the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s (RNIB) residential site in Redhill, Surrey.

The redevelopment project will provide RNIB with specialised accommodation for up to 50 residents as well as 77 luxury new homes for sale on the open market. The completed development will include the refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Tudor House and Garden Cottage. At the heart of the scheme is a Sensory Trail which uses sounds, smells and textures to aid navigation around the site.

“We are proud to be working with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) on redeveloping their Redhill site. Central to the new site are innovations such as the Sensory Trail, which highlights the role that hearing, touch and smell can play in assisting people with sight loss to navigate around the site. We hope that this will also inspire other property developers to pursue more partnerships in the charity sector that benefit social care and help connect local communities,” said Iain McPherson, Managing Director of Countryside’s New Homes & Communities South Region.

In November 2015 planning permission for the redevelopment was granted and after a complex demolition and infrastructure programme, the first RNIB accommodation and private homes are now under construction.

The first specialised accommodation is expected to be completed by Spring 2019, along with the occupation of the first open market homes. Meanwhile, Countryside will be launching a show home in January 2019 to demonstrate the quality of their homes.