Work begins on £21m Stoke care village
WORK has begun on the latest phase of a £21.6m extra-care development in Stoke-on-Trent.
The 140 apartment retirement living scheme is in the Chell area of the city, on the former Westcliffe Hospital site. The development will be a mix of 390 one and two-bed self-contained apartments with communal lounges, restaurants, a laundrette, landscaped garden and hair and beauty salons.
The three storey development, spread over 4.75 acres, is designed like a nightingale ward, replicating how the hospital was. Many historical elements from the original Westcliffe hospital (which was demolished in 1993), including the entrance gates from the 100 year old hospital, the former lodge building and the date stone which sat above the hospitals entrance, will be retained and worked in to the design to create a historic timeline.
PRP, the architects, have worked with the local community and older residents to deliver a design which retains some of the best features of the old building, while meeting the needs of the new re-energised community.
To support the local economy, staff are being recruited from the Stoke-on-Trent area, as are suppliers to work on the scheme. The plan is that 65% of materials will come from the city region, and 80% of the people working in the village will be drawn from the same area. The development is also creating 20 new apprenticeships.
The Stoke City Council development is being delivered in partnership with the Sapphire consortium which includes Your Housing Group, Eric Wright Group and Kajima Partnerships, with Seddon as the contractor.
Work is also under way in Abbey Hulton and Blurton, and all three sites, which form part of a PFI will be completed over the next three years.
Financing has been secured through the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the development will be at no cost to local taxpayers.
Richard Turpin, Director of Sapphire said: “It is fantastic to see work starting here at Westcliffe. We are aware of the site’s historical significance to the people of Stoke on Trent and are proud to be able to contribute, in such a significant way, to its regeneration.
“The new building will provide accessible facilities for the wider community in Chell as well as much needed first class independent living accommodation for the over 55s in beautifully designed landscaped grounds. The level of enthusiastic support for our designs from local residents and community groups has been very gratifying and we look forward to being able to deliver an exceptional building for the city council in 2016.”
Your Housing Group, one of the UK’s largest housing associations, will manage the 390 apartments once they are completed, adding to their substantial portfolio of apartments for the over 55s across the North West and the Midlands.
Stephen Haigh, Executive Director of Growth at Your Housing Group, said: “Together these three developments form the biggest scheme of its kind ever to be developed in the city of Stoke. On the ground, Sapphire in partnership with Stoke City Council is already bringing new jobs, contract opportunities and investment to the region with contractors Seddon and Eric Wright Group utilising local companies and tradesman across all three sites.”
