Residential : Care & Retirement News
Sunderland firm has designs on new Ryhope community

Sunderland firm has designs on new Ryhope community

A SUNDERLAND architects firm has drawn up plans – approved last week – for a cluster of wellbeing homes that will replace a distinctive building in Ryhope. Simpson Street based architects and engineering practice, Building Design Northern (BDN), was commissioned by Sunderland City Council to draw up designs for a

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Caddick wins Lancaster extra care homes contract

Caddick wins Lancaster extra care homes contract

Caddick Construction has scooped a £23 million contract to deliver Lancaster’s first extra care facility on behalf of Progress Housing Group. Groundwork has now begun on site with completion due in May 2025. Building on Caddick’s existing healthcare portfolio, this development will boost the provision of specialist residential care for

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Care home and Co-op coming to Lichfield development

Care home and Co-op coming to Lichfield development

A care home and a Co-op will soon be coming to a new development in Lichfield after a leading property consultancy negotiated two separate land sales. Roman Heights in Streethay will see a care village complex with 78 apartments and 60 bungalows with associated parking and communal facilities, and a

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Anchor breaks ground on riverside development in Rochester

Anchor breaks ground on riverside development in Rochester

Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of specialist housing and care for people in later life, and delivery partner, award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group, has officially broken ground on its Rochester Riverside site on Corys Road, Rochester. Attended by Councillor Habib Tejan, Councillor Vince Maple, Councillor Alex Paterson, Patrick Duffy, Director

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Beard Construction completes care home developments

Beard Construction completes care home developments

Beard Construction has completed two deluxe Signature Senior Lifestyle care homes under projects worth a combined £24.8m. The two projects – Signature at Caversham, in Berkshire, and Signature at Farnham Common, in Buckinghamshire – provide luxury, high-end apartments and residential communities for residents, delivering nursing, respite and dementia care. High-end

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Camberwell Lodge Care & Nursing Home awarded excellent BREEAM rating

Camberwell Lodge Care & Nursing Home awarded excellent BREEAM rating

Camberwell Lodge Care & Nursing Home in Southwark has been awarded a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ with an overall score of 73%. The rating is an internationally recognised measure of a building’s sustainability and reflects the performance achieved by a project and its stakeholders, as measured against the BREEAM standard.

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Completion at Watford senior living scheme

Completion at Watford senior living scheme

Marchini Curran Interiors has announced the completion of a new senior living scheme in Watford, Hertfordshire. Mayfield Watford retirement village, which is the first to be delivered by Mayfield Villages, consists of 255 contemporary one and two-bedroom apartments for over 55s, and is now open to property owners. Located on

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Latest Issue
Issue 334 : Nov 2025

Residential : Care & Retirement News

Sunderland firm has designs on new Ryhope community

Sunderland firm has designs on new Ryhope community

A SUNDERLAND architects firm has drawn up plans – approved last week – for a cluster of wellbeing homes that will replace a distinctive building in Ryhope. Simpson Street based architects and engineering practice, Building Design Northern (BDN), was commissioned by Sunderland City Council to draw up designs for a community of ‘specialist homes’ to support improved health, wellbeing, and care.  They will stand on the current site of the disused St Cuthbert’s Methodist Church in Ryhope, and are part of the city council’s five-year £59m Housing Delivery and Investment Plan (HDIP), which is delivering more good-quality homes for older and vulnerable people in Sunderland.  The plans were approved by Sunderland’s planning committee on the 17th April and demolition of the distinctive green-roofed church – which is no longer occupied and has fallen into disrepair – will clear the way for six new high-quality one-storey properties, as well as two staff hubs, for use by Adult Social Care workers on-hand to provide support to residents.  The properties have been designed for people who require additional support and care, with the aim of improving the everyday experience of the residents who live there, meeting their immediate and future needs. The team at BDN has worked closely with staff from the local authority to shape plans to ensure they’re absolutely fit for purpose and able to support residents with a range of conditions that impact on their mobility and health. Graham King, Director of Adult Services at Sunderland City Council, said: “This is yet another example of the strong collaboration between Adult Services and the housing team. The programme has been a real success with developments bespoke to individual customers and their care and support needs with technology-enabled care built into the schemes which allows people to live more independently in their own tenancy.” Gerry Taylor, executive director of health housing and communities at Sunderland City Council, said: “We’re delighted to have commissioned a Sunderland firm to develop plans for new homes in Sunderland, that will improve the lives of those who live there.  “The HDIP is about supporting our more vulnerable residents, creating homes that are attuned to their needs, with design and assistive technology adaptations that support the wellbeing of people who live there.  This scheme will achieve just that, breathing new life into a small area that is at the heart of an established community in Sunderland.” The proposals comprise of a mixture of both two and three-bedroom shared and individual bungalows, arranged in a cluster and connected by a sheltered canopy to enclose the site and create a sense of community. BDN’s work on the project has been bolstered by a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Northumbria University, which has provided a unique opportunity for contemporary research to be embedded into the scheme’s architectural design. All six homes have been carefully designed to complement the existing streetscape, while delivering a contemporary response that will establish a connected community of well-designed, sustainable homes. Dr Faye Sedgewick, architectural designer and KTP associate at BDN, said: “St Cuthbert’s has been designed to enable residents to carry out everyday activities within the home. “The sympathetic design responds to both people and place, and seeks to support greater independence, enablement and life fulfilment for residents.  The cluster of homes embed BDN’s supportive design principles and ethos to ensure that the accessible homes are readily adaptable, enabling and connected to the surrounding community.” A series of stakeholder engagement sessions with a research group at Northumbria University have supported BDN’s design response, ensuring the quality of design is the best it can be.  Richard Marsden, managing director of BDN, added: “As a Sunderland firm, it is fantastic to be able to support the council in its goal of creating communities that raise the bar, delivering housing that enables residents to live independently and in comfortable, well-designed homes.  “We’ve invested in a talented team at BDN, whose designs really are at the cutting edge, so this scheme really will be exemplary, something that means a lot to us as a firm that is growing roots in Sunderland.” The full planning application was submitted by BDN to Sunderland City Council in February, with a decision taken at committee yesterday.  It is one of a number of HDIP schemes moving forward in the city, with plans to create more supported properties for vulnerable residents, more bungalows for people living with disabilities and older residents, as well as general use homes available for affordable rent.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

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Caddick wins Lancaster extra care homes contract

Caddick wins Lancaster extra care homes contract

Caddick Construction has scooped a £23 million contract to deliver Lancaster’s first extra care facility on behalf of Progress Housing Group. Groundwork has now begun on site with completion due in May 2025. Building on Caddick’s existing healthcare portfolio, this development will boost the provision of specialist residential care for those aged 55 and over in Lancaster, providing a safe and comfortable space for those requiring varying levels of care. The project will see the construction of a 92-unit extra care scheme incorporating one and two-bedroom apartments, with three of the one-bedroom apartments designed to be wheelchair friendly. Two existing buildings will also be converted into 16 one and two-bedroom general needs flats. Additional features such as assisted bathing, spa bathing, hairdressing facility, a games room, roof terraces and a laundry room will also be incorporated. External work will include alterations and remodelling of the existing and stone boundary wall, landscaping, a car park with EV charging points, restoration of all historial sandstone buildings and the installation of external lighting. Ian Threadgold, Managing Director of Caddick Construction for the North West commented: “Extra care facilities such as these are a vital necessity in any community and we’re pleased to be bringing this much needed development to life, on behalf of Progress Housing Group. Caddick’s extensive expertise in the healthcare sector is what has led our specialist team to this development and we’re thrilled to form an integral part of this project.” Rebecca Field, Head of Development at Progress Housing Group, said: “We are delighted to be working with Caddick Construction on our first Extra Care scheme facility and the first in Lancaster. “The scheme will provide homes for people aged 55 and over, with on-site, tailored care and support packages available to help residents live independently. It is hoped that the scheme will be completed by Summer 2025.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Care home and Co-op coming to Lichfield development

Care home and Co-op coming to Lichfield development

A care home and a Co-op will soon be coming to a new development in Lichfield after a leading property consultancy negotiated two separate land sales. Roman Heights in Streethay will see a care village complex with 78 apartments and 60 bungalows with associated parking and communal facilities, and a Co-op convenience store alongside a new café and four retail units, undergo construction after two deals were agreed by Fisher German. Fisher German, acting on behalf of Miller Homes, sold the care village site to Keon Homes Ltd, and the Co-op site to LSP Developments. Both sites have full planning permission for the projects and construction works have started. “We received strong interest for both sites having targeted specialist developers in both sectors. The schemes complement the existing housing and will be excellent additions to Lichfield. The care village and new shops will help make Roman Heights feel more like a true community, and we wish Keon Homes and LSP Developments all the best with the delivery of the projects,” said Rob Champion, Partner at Fisher German. The developments will add to the 750 new homes and primary school at Roman Heights, which first received outline planning permission in late 2014. “Building communities is at the heart of what we do at Miller Homes and we are delighted to bring these important facilities to our residents living in Streethay. With our residential homes now sold out and our customers enjoying their new homes, we hope that the new retail facilities and care complex will become a focal point of the development servicing the needs of the community for years to come,” concluded Alastair Parsons, Area Sales Director at Miller Homes West Midlands. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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M&Y Maintenance and Construction to build £7.9m extra care development

M&Y Maintenance and Construction to build £7.9m extra care development

Wigan Council appoints St Helens based company to build 32 unit extra care scheme  M&Y Maintenance and Construction has been awarded a £7.9m contract by Wigan Council to build a 32-unit extra care housing scheme.   Built on the former site of Shevington Community Primary School on Miles Lane, the development will include 1 Bedroom, 2 Person and 2 Bedroom, 3 Person apartments and bespoke communal areas that will provide plenty of space for socialising in a welcoming and friendly environment. The contract includes demolition of existing buildings and the construction of a new shared access road.   Speaking about the appointment, Chris Mellor, Construction Director at M&Y, said: “This is a fantastic win for M&Y, and we’re absolutely delighted to be working with Wigan Council again. It speaks to the strength of our knowledgeable construction team, who bring experience from multiple sectors including healthcare and education, that we’ve been selected to deliver this exciting new extra care scheme. We are really looking forwards to the project and strengthening our relationship with Wigan council.”  This will be M&Y’s second development with Wigan Council, having completed their Brackley House development in early 2022. The company stepped in to finish 17, two, three and four bedroom houses, following the collapse of Crudens in 2021.   During completion of Brackley House, M&Y generated more than £37,000 of social value activity for the borough, supporting apprentices, businesses and local causes. When the development was complete, their support of the local community continued, with M&Y maintaining their support for local homelessness charity ‘The Brick,’ donating 10 bundles of warm clothing and 40 thermal blankets to their ‘Wrap up Wigan’ campaign.   Councillor Susan Gambles, cabinet portfolio holder for housing and welfare said: “Extra care is about enabling residents to continue to live independently, with a bit of a helping hand; getting the right support, in the right place, at the right time.  “Wigan Council, working in partnership, has built a number of extra care facilities in recent years, creating high-quality and sustainable developments across our borough.  “I am really looking forward to seeing how these works progress, bringing this former school site back into use.”  M&Y Maintenance and Construction has been awarded a £7.9m contract, following the completion of a competitive tender process by Wigan Council to build a 32-unit extra care housing scheme.   The project will now commence detailed planning, design and procurement with a view to starting on site in March 2023 and completion expected mid-2024.    Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Anchor breaks ground on riverside development in Rochester

Anchor breaks ground on riverside development in Rochester

Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of specialist housing and care for people in later life, and delivery partner, award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group, has officially broken ground on its Rochester Riverside site on Corys Road, Rochester. Attended by Councillor Habib Tejan, Councillor Vince Maple, Councillor Alex Paterson, Patrick Duffy, Director of New Business at Anchor, and Simon Trice, Managing Director at Hill, the event marked the official start of construction for the development, which will deliver 101 new mixed-tenure homes for people aged over 55. Set to be available to move into from 2024, Anchor’s homes will be part of the large-scale regeneration scheme being delivered by mixed-tenure developer Countryside and housing association Hyde. Patrick Duffy, Director of New Business at Anchor said: “The start of work on site marks an exciting point for our plans in Rochester. We believe that this development will offer a wide choice for those looking for a new home in their later life, offering the option to be as independent, quiet, or active as they desire as part of a vibrant new community set between the River Medway and Rochester town centre. “The acquisition of this new 1.6 acre site in 2021 was a fantastic step forward towards our goal of creating 5,700 new homes over the next 10 years, and it is great to see work begin on this new development.” Simon Trice, Managing Director at The Hill Group commented: “We are delighted to be working with Anchor on this development, which will provide high quality new homes and expand the wide range of housing tenure available at Rochester Riverside. We will utilise our extensive experience to provide energy efficient homes with excellent access to open space and local amenities, which are so important for wellbeing and creating a lasting community. Hill has worked extensively with Anchor in the past and we are proud to have been selected as their delivery partner once again.” Councillor Habib Tejan from Rochester River Ward said: “I’d like to thank Anchor and Hill for inviting me to the groundbreaking ceremony. We wholeheartedly welcome this investment into Medway and I look forward to seeing the development take shape and provide much needed housing for older people in our community.” Anchor’s new independent living scheme will provide a collection of one, two and three-bedroom apartments for rent and shared ownership. These new homes will be part of the £419m investment into the regeneration of Rochester where residents will benefit from commercial spaces and amenities right on their doorstep, alongside plenty of open space and excellent transport connections to both Kent and London. To find out more about the company’s growth strategy and vision for the future, or if you are a landowner, developer or site agent with suitable land then visit: www.anchorhanover.org.uk/professionals/land-acquisition.   Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Beard Construction completes care home developments

Beard Construction completes care home developments

Beard Construction has completed two deluxe Signature Senior Lifestyle care homes under projects worth a combined £24.8m. The two projects – Signature at Caversham, in Berkshire, and Signature at Farnham Common, in Buckinghamshire – provide luxury, high-end apartments and residential communities for residents, delivering nursing, respite and dementia care. High-end materials and finishes – combined with Beard’s reputation for building excellence and quality – ensure five-star hotel comfort across both care homes. Farnham Common, which opened in January 2023, offers luxury assisted living and nursing in 74 studio-style apartments with private wet rooms, alongside facilities which include a café, restaurant, cinema, lounge areas, activity room, a pub, spa bathrooms, hair salon and therapy room. Officially opening in February 2023, Caversham is a four-floor care home with 86 apartments, split across a sloping site with views across to the Caversham lakes. Communal facilities will include the same range of facilities as Farnham Common on hand to residents. Both homes have been constructed from brick and render. Farnham’s roof is a tiled, mono ridge design while Caversham’s is Sarnafil topped with pebbles and lined with paving. Both projects remained operational during the second wave of the Covid pandemic with enhanced health and safety procedures designed to keep staff safe. Beard director Mike Hedges said: “The care sector is important to us, and our expertise means we can help clients to meet the increasing demand for the very best in assisted living spaces. Signature’s attention to detail in these homes and the high level of fit and finish is testament to the quality of living and care demanded by modern-day residents. “Beard’s core aim is to build with ambition and this project more than lives up to that ethos.” Alex Alexandru, General Manager at Signature at Farnham Common, said: “We are delighted to have worked with Beard to demonstrate what is possible in care home design. “As a community within a community, Signature at Farnham Common offers excellent residential, nursing, dementia, and respite care in luxury surroundings. “Our care home has been designed to be a hub of activity, with a host of communal spaces and social activities for residents, supported by highly trained team members committed to delivering true peace of mind to residents, relatives and their loved ones.” Carmela Magbitang, General Manager at Signature at Caversham said: “Signature at Caversham provides a warm, welcoming and luxury community which will offer industry-leading care, luxurious facilities and surroundings along with top-quality dining and nutrition. “We look forward to working in partnership with the communities we serve, both inside and outside of our home. We are also delighted to have partnered once more with Beard, who have meticulously supported us to realise our aspirations for excellence in this project.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Camberwell Lodge Care & Nursing Home awarded excellent BREEAM rating

Camberwell Lodge Care & Nursing Home awarded excellent BREEAM rating

Camberwell Lodge Care & Nursing Home in Southwark has been awarded a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ with an overall score of 73%. The rating is an internationally recognised measure of a building’s sustainability and reflects the performance achieved by a project and its stakeholders, as measured against the BREEAM standard. The rating enables comparability between projects and provides assurance in ten areas, including management, health and wellbeing, energy, transport, water, materials, waste, land use and ecology, pollution and innovation. Camberwell Lodge Care and Nursing Home in the heart of the London Borough of Southwark offers a mix of residential, nursing and dementia care. The 98-bed new build care and nursing home opened in May 2022 on the site of Burgess Park Care Home. The innovative project was developed in partnership with WGP Architects and Horizon Building Contractors. It features a bold contemporary design and focuses on creating a sense of community for residents. “We are delighted to receive an Excellent BREEAM rating for Camberwell Lodge Care & Nursing Home,” said David Hicks, Estates Director at Country Court. “The rating is in line with Southwark council’s requirements for the development of the care home, and means it is considered as the best in practice for sustainable building design”. Green measures are central to the building’s design. Its energy strategy will help lower water and energy use, cut carbon emissions which contribute to the greenhouse effect and keep running costs down compared to a standard design. Where energy and heat are needed, the building uses low-carbon technologies like solar panels, a combined heat and power boiler, and an air source heat pump. These will keep residents warm and safe, while also saving carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere and reducing reliance on gas. Key environmental considerations at Camberwell Lodge include biodiverse rooves to provide the maximum possible provision towards the creation of habitats and valuation areas for biodiversity (in accordance with local and city-wide policies). Good cyclist facilities are provided to encourage sustainable transport methods for staff and visitors. Limited car parking is available on site to discourage transport by car, the site itself is served by excellent public transport links. For more information about Camberwell Lodge Care & Nursing Home or to make an appointment to view the home please contact, Nina Rogers, Senior Customer Relations Manager on 07549 035 654 or email nina.rogers@countrycourtcare.com Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Completion at Watford senior living scheme

Completion at Watford senior living scheme

Marchini Curran Interiors has announced the completion of a new senior living scheme in Watford, Hertfordshire. Mayfield Watford retirement village, which is the first to be delivered by Mayfield Villages, consists of 255 contemporary one and two-bedroom apartments for over 55s, and is now open to property owners. Located on Heron Place, close to Watford General Hospital and less than a mile to the town’s retail centre, the new community features landscaped communal gardens, swimming pool, sauna and steam room, gym, beauty treatment rooms and a café-bistro. Midlands-based Marchini Curran Interiors was appointed on the scheme in 2017, to create an interior concept and lead the procurement of furniture, lighting and artwork. The now complete interior design scheme at the village is rooted in Scandinavian style, with a focus on biophilic design – bringing the outside in. The interior is orientated around a central garden with all interior spaces having a visual link to it. “This is a significant and impressive scheme which we are incredibly proud to have delivered. To create a concept from scratch, unlike anything else in the UK, was a real joy to bring to life. We undertook detailed market research in the UK and the US, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia for inspiration. With this intelligence we took a fresh approach to designing for contemporary retirement villages, with minimal, clean lines – moving away from the stereotype style often found at senior living developments,” said Christopher Taylor, Design Director at Marchini Curran Interiors. “As part of the design process, we broke down the boundary between defined spaces synonymous with retirement living and instead created a largely open plan interior that can ebb and flow, expand and contract, allowing the spaces to adapt to the activities at hand.” The village is part of the new urban development, Watford Riverwell, which will bring new homes, community, leisure and retail facilities, set in more than 4.5 acres of green open space. “Watford is our first Mayfield Village and it meets the ever-increasing demand for more high-quality retirement options across the UK. Helping people to maintain their independence and actively improve their health and wellbeing should be key to how we look after people as they get older. Marchini Curran listened to what the market wants in terms of the environment they live in and have delivered this with great style,” concluded Nick Sanderson, CEO of Mayfield Villages. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Charterpoint submits planning application for local centre and care home

Charterpoint submits planning application for local centre and care home in Leicestershire

Developer Charterpoint, in a joint venture with landowner, The Drummond Estate, has applied for planning permission to build a new local centre and a 66-bed care home on land at New Lubbesthorpe, a pioneering new community in Blaby, Leicestershire. The mixed-use scheme features a two-storey local centre which will house a Sainsbury’s Local store and four additional units for retail, including a café/bistro on the ground floor. The first floor will be occupied by Forest House Medical Centre. The plans submitted to Blaby District Council include a 66-bed modern care home to be built over two and three storeys, which would be delivered by senior living specialist Charterpoint. New Lubbesthorpe Local Centre is the first retail scheme for the new community, which will eventually feature more than 4,000 new homes. The local centre and the care home – designed by Franklin Ellis Architects – have already received outline planning permission and will complete the development of the Tay Road feature square that also includes the successful New Lubbesthorpe Primary School. Charterpoint Managing Director, Giles Nursey, said: “New Lubbesthorpe is an exciting, vibrant community set in a great countryside location just 20 minutes from Leicester city centre and ten minutes from Fosse Park Retail Centre. “Charterpoint has carefully developed designs for the first of two local centres planned for the site, plus an adjacent care home, and we are very pleased to have now submitted a reserved matters planning application to Blaby District Council as the next part of the development process.” Martin Ward, a trustee of the Drummond Estate, said: “Community facilities, such as these, are vital to maintain the fantastic sense of community we have created at New Lubbesthorpe. The new local centre will complement the successful primary school and will be welcomed by those already living here and the new residents moving to site.” New Lubbesthorpe is a pioneering new community set in 325 acres of new parklands and wetlands, south of Leicester Forest East. Around 780 of the 4,250 homes have so far been built and occupied. It is expected that work will begin on site for the new local centre and the care home in spring 2023, subject to planning permission. Charterpoint, which is based at Edwalton near Nottingham, specialises in developing mixed-use and sustainable housing schemes, first-class senior living accommodation, and primary care premises. For more information about Charterpoint, visit www.charterpointgroup.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Conlon Construction appointed to Leyland extra care scheme following planning approval

Conlon Construction has successfully commenced stage one of a two-stage tender process via the North West Construction Hub to deliver a new extra care facility in South Ribble, which will support independent living for older people. Planning approval has now been granted for Jubilee Gardens, located on West Paddock in Leyland, which will include 70 apartments with on-site support and facilities such as a café and hair salon, designed to help people live longer in their own homes. Owned and managed by South Ribble Borough Council, Jubilee Gardens is the first scheme of its kind in the borough, and has been designed in a sustainable way, including improved pedestrian links to Leyland town centre, secure cycle parking and mobility scooter hire to promote the use of eco-friendly transport. Work is planned to begin on site before the end of the year, with completion due in 2024. Applications of interest from potential residents will open from 2023. Michael Conlon, chairman at Conlon Construction, said: “This will be a pivotal development for the local area, setting new standards in the design of extra care facilities that are so vital for the community. “As with all of our projects, we will be ensuring that local contractors are tasked with supporting us, so we play our part in boosting businesses that, like us, contribute to the success of the local economy. “Now that planning approval has been granted, we’ll be getting straight to work so that older residents in South Ribble can begin to experience all the benefits of Jubilee Gardens as soon as possible.” Councillor Paul Foster, leader of South Ribble Borough Council, said: “I am very pleased that Jubilee Gardens has now got the go-ahead to start. This is the first scheme of this kind for South Ribble and will provide a much-needed housing solution for our ageing population. It is exciting to see the project move on to the next stage to deliver these benefits. “Despite the cost pressures within the construction industry the Council has committed to deliver the scheme to achieve high levels of energy efficiency to assist residents with the rising cost of living. Jubilee Gardens is part of South Ribble Borough Council’s planned investment programme for the borough, and I am pleased that we will be able to offer this support for residents in the future.” Artist’s impressions of the scheme can be viewed at www.southribble.gov.uk/jubileegardens

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