Plans to provide 100% affordable extra care housing on a disused site in Guildford have moved a major step forward with the selection of a consortium of partners to build and manage the scheme.
Pond Meadow Ltd and their selected housing manager, Pinnacle Group, will manage the facilities enabling residents to live independently for longer and enjoy personalised care.
With extra care housing, older people benefit from the privacy and independence of their own homes and the reassurance that care and support are on hand if needed. They can also enjoy the social benefits of communal and accessible spaces which welcome visitors and the wider local community.
Around sixty extra care apartments are set to be provided in Westborough on the former site of Pond Meadow School, subject to planning approval. Further information about the proposals can be found online at pondmeadow.co.uk and will be available at a community drop-in event. If you are interested in learning more about the plans click here https://pondmeadow.co.uk/.
The plans form part of the county council’s wider ambition to provide 725 affordable homes in extra care developments, at locations around the county by 2030.
In delivering the Guildford scheme, Pond Meadow Ltd aims to maximise social impact through a long-term affordable housing partnership with the county council. Residents would be nominated for apartments based on their needs. Care services would be procured separately, prior to the scheme opening, and would be provided by a regulated care provider.
Sinead Mooney, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, said: “We’re really excited to be working with Pond Meadow Ltd to bring this important project to fruition.
“Extra care housing is central to our aim of enabling people to lead independent lives for as long as possible in their own homes and communities. Modernising care and improving choice in this way will help reduce the need for institutional forms of care.
“This is intended to be the first in a series of developments around the county, with several other schemes in the pipeline. It’s all helping towards our ultimate ambition, that no one is left behind.”
Mrs Mooney added: “We also warmly welcome Guildford’s support for this scheme which will bring significant benefits to the local community.”
Plans for the Pond Meadow extra care housing scheme are expected to comprise a mix of one and two-bedroom affordable self-contained apartments.
The homes are expected to include the following features:
- accessible layout without barriers to movement
- each apartment designed with the residents in mind
- full height windows with access to outdoor space
- views over playing fields or garden
- assistive technology as needed
The wider development is expected to feature:
- communal dining space at the front of the development
- a social hub made up of communal facilities
- bright and light feel throughout
- “meet and greet” area for residents and staff
- garden to contain growing areas, and to include complementary facilities for residents e.g. outdoor exercise and secure areas
More information about the future of extra care housing in Surrey including a video showing how schemes could look can be found here.
Posted from Surrey News
