Hampshire’s latest Extra Care scheme is off the ground as construction starts on the new affordable rented housing development at Willis Road in Gosport.
The project is being delivered by Hampshire County Council, Gosport Borough Council, Lovell Later Living (LLL) — part of the Morgan Sindall Group — and Places for People Living Plus who will own and complete the development.
To celebrate the start onsite, the partners gathered this week to hear from Lovell Later Living, setting out how plans will see the 60 one- and two-bedroom apartment development for the over 55s with 24/7 care and support, complete by Summer 2023.
Hampshire County Council’s Executive Lead Member for Adult Services and Public Health, Councillor Liz Fairhurst, said: “This brand new scheme will make a huge difference to the lives of older residents in and around the Gosport area. We have seen the benefits that Extra Care can bring by enabling people to live independently in a home of their own, but with support available whenever they need it.
“The Gosport scheme forms an important part of the County Council’s £45m investment in Extra Care across Hampshire, designed to help ensure the accommodation needs and aspirations of our growing older population can be met.”
The scheme, designed in partnership with Re-Format Architecture and Design, will transform the Willis Road site into modern, purpose built accommodation for older people, providing affordable, independent living in self contained apartments with access to 24/7 care on site, plus a range of communal facilities, such as a restaurant and lounge.
Andy Lomas, Managing Director of Places for People Living Plus, said: “We are delighted to be working together with our partners to offer affordable, new Extra Care homes to people in Gosport.
“We are passionate about creating well-designed, affordable homes, and have great experience delivering services of this kind across the country — most recently successfully completing similar homes in nearby Romsey.
“Extra Care apartments such as those, and this new offering on Willis Road, are ideal for customers who wish to remain independent, with their own front door and privacy, yet with the knowledge that they can be supported in their own home when necessary. We look forward to working with future residents in Gosport as we move forward with the build.”
Paula Broadbent, Managing Director, LLL, commented: “We are very proud to be delivering this second Extra Care scheme in Hampshire. We recognise the importance of specialist housing with access to care to support local people to live independently in their own homes and we understand how important the development is to local residents and our partners Hampshire County Council, Gosport Borough Council and Places for People Living Plus.
“Lovell Later Living and our colleagues in Morgan Sindall Construction are committed to delivering a development which residents and our partners will enjoy for many decades to come.”
Cllr Tony Jessop, Chair of Gosport Borough Council’s Housing Board, said: “It’s great to see this project reach another major milestone. We look forward to helping potential residents find homes in this exciting new development.”
Clifford Kinch, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction said: “It’s fantastic to see this much-needed project underway. Morgan Sindall Construction is committed to delivering high-quality and sustainable facilities which serve and support our local communities. We’re proud to be part of this high-quality scheme which provides modern, independent living for older people within and around the Gosport community. We look forward to seeing this project develop and continuing our collaborative approach with all our stakeholder partners.”
Header image shows a CGI image of how the scheme will look (credit Lovell Later Living).
