Top 60 Developments: Extra Care Developments of the Year
Inside Housing is showcasing the best 60 developments of the last year. This year, our list is split into 10 categories of excellence which we will reveal over the next few weeks. Michael Atherton reports on the best extra care developments of the year.
A word from the Inside Housing editor
We all know that we have an ageing population and that this will require some fundamental rethinking in the way that we house and care for older members of society. But it is worth restating the figures: there are now more over-60s in the UK than under-18s. There are 11.4 million people aged 65 or over, and 3 million are 80-plus. The number of centenarians reached 13,350 in 2012, a 73% increase over the previous decade.
It is clear that we are living longer. Research shows that we also perceive ourselves to be reaching middle-age later - 60 is the new 40. We want to stay active for longer and we want to stay in our own homes.
Yet the health and care needs faced by older people are becoming more complex, with more and more experiencing a series of conditions at the same time.
Extra care housing is at the heart of meeting this growing need. The very best extra care housing provides independence to residents as they age, as well as peace of mind that care is on hand to provide as much or as little support as is needed.
That is why we are delighted to celebrate and share the achievements of the extra care developments on these pages. They are making a clear and visible difference to people’s lives. They are reaching out to the surrounding intergenerational communities.
They are creating places where people want to live.
These are not only the best extra care developments, but they are among our Top 60 Developments of the Year. Congratulations to them all.
Emma Maier, editor, Inside Housing
The judges
- Neil Goldberg, planning consultant, Haringey Council, and director of town planning, Urban Community
- Elaine Elkington, director, Elaine Elkington and Associates
- Steve Douglas, partner, Altair
- Dennis Seal, chair of housing hub, Buildoffsite
The judges will choose an overall winner in this category, to be announced on Friday 16 October in London
Amblecote Gardens
Number of homes in development: 66 bedrooms
Cost: £7m
“This is a ground-breaking scheme which integrates health and a flexible housing offer under one roof.”
Elaine Elkington, director, Elaine Elkington and Associates
The scheme: Amblecote Gardens is an extra care facility in Little Hulton, Salford, in the midst of 100 new family homes, so residents share amenities such as a GP practice, pharmacy and library. The public can also use the community café and hairdressers.
A dementia-friendly environment, the facility has been designed using colour and artwork to ensure residents can find their way around. Water fountains and gentle, ambient noises help to reduce depression and encourage regular sleeping patterns.
City West calculates that if this scheme were replicated across the country, the NHS could save £1.3bn per year on treating injuries caused by inadequate housing.
Clarence Park Village
Number of homes in development: 101 apartments
Cost: £16.7m
“This scheme incorporates renewable technologies and has preserved the treeline and wildlife corridor.”
Elaine Elkington, director, Elaine Elkington and Associates
The scheme: Clarence Park Village replaced an existing sheltered housing scheme between Worcester and Malvern. Of the one and two-bedroom homes, 45 are for affordable rent, 38 for outright sale and 18 for shared ownership.
The development by Fortis Living and Worcestershire County Council includes communal facilities and services such as a public café, restaurant, a health and well-being advisor, a gym, a games room, a hobbies and crafts room, an IT Suite, a library, village hall, greenhouse, health and beauty salon, landscaped gardens and a car club.
Virtually all residents came from one single street and all come from within a three-mile radius.
Hagley Road Village
Number of homes in development: 240
Cost: £40m
“This scheme succeeded where 20 years of other attempts had failed to bring the site back into use.”
Elaine Elkington, director, Elaine Elkington and Associates
The scheme: Hagley Road Village in Birmingham provides 240 self-contained one and two-bedroom apartments for residents 55 years and older. 79 of the apartments are for purchase, 113 for shared ownership and 48 for affordable rent.
Health and social facilities (including a café, village hall, fitness centre, library and IT area) are linked to a weekly activity programme.
The village, developed by the Extra Care Charitable Trust and Birmingham City Council, regenerated a derelict site, releasing 112 much-needed family homes.
Resident and D-Day veteran, Tony Martin, aged 97, said: ‘We didn’t come here to retire: we came here to live and that’s what we are doing. We’re so happy.’
Limestone View Extra Care
Number of homes in development: 50
Cost: £6.7m
“This scheme has strong design features - it recreates a Yorkshire market town scene - which is helpful for people with dementia.”
Elaine Elkington, director, Elaine Elkington and Associates
The scheme: Limestone View replaced an outdated residential care home, providing 50 wheelchair-accessible one and two-bedroom homes (34 are affordable rent and 16 shared ownership). Of the one bed apartments, 21 are designed as open plan for people with complex needs.
The facility, by Housing & Care 21 with North Yorkshire County Council and Craven District Council, has at its heart an indoor ‘high street’ with a careful selection of materials and signage to ensure the street reflects the typical North Yorkshire market town street. A public library draws in the local community.
Llys Jasmine
Number of homes in development: 63
Cost: £8.3m
“The contractor - Anwyl Construction - used 80% local labour and created 17 apprentices, which is very high for a scheme of 63 homes.”
Elaine Elkington, director, Elaine Elkington and Associates
The scheme: Llys Jasmine in Mold, Flintshire, is an extra-care scheme for older people, especially those with dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Society was consulted on the design for the Wales & West Housing and Flintshire County Council scheme. The 63 homes are for residents requiring a range of care and support to retain independence as long as possible with below market rents.
Window sills are low to enable all residents to see out and every apartment has a dedicated patio or large balcony. A sensory garden helps stimulate senses while memory triggers help them understand where they are.
Resident Enid Jones said: ‘I lived in a big house on my own before. It’s a lot cosier now, so warm and I’m not lonely. I feel looked after but can be independent.
Maywood
Number of homes in development: 52
Cost: £7.4m
“Particularly unique is the outdoor gym - ‘adult playgrounds’ where people can join in without going to an indoor gym!”
Elaine Elkington, director, Elaine Elkington and Associates
The scheme: Maywood extra care scheme in Wombourne, Stafford, replaced two redundant dilapidated buildings built in the 1960s and 1970s.
The 52 apartments, a mix of one and two bedrooms, are for affordable rent.
The development by Shire Living - a joint venture by Wrekin Housing Trust and Choices Housing - includes a south-facing roof terrace, multipurpose rooms, assisted bathing, a pamper bathroom, and a landscaped garden with water feature.
An onsite restaurant and outdoor gym are also offered. Two adjacent schools create opportunities for integrated cross-generational activities promoting community cohesion. A café provides low-cost, healthy meals to the wider community.
A resident’s family member said: ‘Not only is my mother really happy in her new home and has a new lease of life, but she has got her daughter back, and I have my mother back. We are no longer carer and patient, but have time to sit and talk to each other as the friends we are.’
