New contractor to complete £19m Birkdale Care Village
Warrington-based contractor Cruden Construction is set to complete the work on Birkdale’s new £19m state-of-the-art care village, following its appointment by care operator, Belong.
With a strong background in care sector construction, Cruden takes over the reins from original contractor, Pochin, which had been working on the Oxford Road development when it went into administration last year.
Once complete it will be the fifth Belong village built by Cruden in the past decade, including sites in Didsbury and Crewe.
Expected to open in 2021, the Birkdale village will provide class-leading dementia care and high-specification accommodation for more than 100 people, including 24-hour support across six extended family-sized households and 30, one- and two-bedroom, independent living apartments, which are available to buy or rent.
At the heart of the village is a vibrant hub with a range of amenities, such as a bistro, hair salon, exercise studio and function rooms.
Outreach services will also be available to people in the wider community, including Belong’s award-winning home care offering, Belong at Home, and a specialist day care service.
Belong chief finance officer, Chris Hughes, said: “Cruden has a sound track record working with us on previous villages and we are delighted to be partnering with them again to complete Belong Birkdale.
“With a new timetable for a 2021 village opening confirmed, we are confident our award-winning services and facilities will quickly prove an asset to both older people and the wider community.”
Managing Director of Cruden Construction, Ian Woolrich, said: “We are thrilled to have secured a fifth project with Belong and look forward to resuming work on the Birkdale development.
“We take great pride in the fact that every village we build together is creating a place that will deliver real benefit to the local area and its people.”
Architects for the scheme are Altrincham-based Pozzoni Architecture, which has designed the village to feature distinctive details and materials inspired by the West Birkdale Conservation Area, including Reigate Medium Multi brickwork, stone cladding to apartment balconies and feature window surrounds.
The project is backed by Octopus Real Estate, part of Octopus Group, a specialist real estate investor.
The healthcare team manages the development of state-of-the-art care home facilities, and also creates strategic partnerships with operators in the market.
