Property round-up: £1m dementia care site for Norris Green; Chester Oden to be bought by council; and more

PLANS have been unveiled for a £1 million specialist dementia care unit in Liverpool.

The purpose-built facility, designed by 20:20 Liverpool, will be constructed next to Sedgemoor Care Home in Norris Green and will be used by up to 30 people per day.

It will include a ‘Telecare’ suite where staff will be able to fully assess people and identify the most suitable types of technology which can be fitted at home to help them stay safe – such as sensors and warning alarms.

The centre will also be used for respite and include a sensory room, hobby space where people can take part in arts and crafts, and a mini-cinema which will be used to show old film reels to help with cognitive therapy.

It is part of the council’s ‘Transformation’ plan for day care services which will see six Health and Wellbeing hubs created across the city.
 
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CHESHIRE West and Chester Council councillors have given the green light to the authority’s plans to buy back Chester’s former Odeon Cinema.

Members of all parties voted unanimously in favour of the move at last Thursday’s meeting of the full council for the move, instructing officers to close a deal on the building with its current owner, Barnsley-based Brook Group.

A price for the purchase was not revealed and the decision was taken in a private session to protect commercial confidentiality.

Council Leader Mike Jones said: “The Odeon’s position in the Chester city centre means that the building will have an important role in the development of the all-important One City Plan.

“Our officers will now be instructed to finalise the arrangements with the Brook Group.”

Jason Brook, chief executive of The Brook Group, said: “Recently I made it clear that we wanted to work with the local authority on future plans for the Odeon. Hopefully, this new development will speed up the realisation of our mutual aspirations for the building.

“We look forward to completing arrangements with the Council in the near future.”

The Art Deco, Grade II listed building in Northgate Street, is one of two preferred sites for Chester’s proposed new theatre, with the other being the Little Roodee. Feasibility studies into the project are continuing and no final decision has yet been taken.

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HEALTHCARE property group Assura has begun work on a new £2m GP surgery at Gelligaer in South Wales.

The company is developing the 9,321 sq ft building, which will be split across two floors, alongside LSP Developments.

It will replace the existing Gelligaer Surgery to allow the practice to become a GP training centre as well as expand its services to the local community.

The site was acquired from the Aneurin Bevan Health Board and the project is due for completion in May 2012.

Assura Group development manager Tom Cooke, said: “We are delighted to be working with LSP, the GPs and the Aneurin Bevin Health Board to deliver this much-needed healthcare facility in Gelligaer. Plans for the new surgery have been in the making for some time now and so starting on site, opposite the existing surgery, is an important milestone.”

Dr John Holland, lead GP at Gelligaer and Gilfach Surgery, said: “The surgery team is delighted with this long-awaited and crucial building project, which will benefit local patient services and the community at large. It is hoped that this beacon development will support the expansion of top quality healthcare in the area for decades to come.”

Architects on the scheme are  West Hart Partnership. The contractor is OpCo.

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FRENCH company Aures Technology has opened a new office in Runcorn after taking a 7,890 sq ft unit at Northern Trust’s Sycamore Court estate on a five-year lease.

Aures provides electronic point of sale terminals and other IT equipment to retailers under its Posligne brand.

The company’s UK sales manager Dean Challinor, said: “We had been in the process of searching for suitable office and warehousing premises to continue with our business expansion for some time. Sycamore Court fits our requirements perfectly due to location – ideal for the motorway networks, and the increase in office and stock holding capabilities, all enabling Aures to continue to service our clients to the highest level.”

Sycamore Court is a 46,000 sq ft business park on the 300-acre Manor Park estate off the A558 Daresbury Express between Warrington and Runcorn. There are now eight companies onsite including Lidl and Yokogowa. Only one unit remains available.

Katie Bibby, assistant surveyor at Whittle Jones, which acted on on behalf of Northern Trust, said: “We are delighted to have secured the letting of an acclaimed international company such as Aures Technologies Ltd at Sycamore Court. 

“With strong interest in the remaining unit, we are hopeful to be able to announce the full occupancy of the estate in the near future.”