Lincolnshire-based LACE Housing has officially opened the doors to Brighton Place – its £4.4m development of affordable housing for older people in Washingborough.
A group of seven pupils from Washingborough Academy and Sandra Hine – daughter of the late North Kesteven District Council Leader Marion Brighton OBE – formally unveiled a plaque during the opening ceremony on Wednesday (11th September).
Brighton Place consists of 26 two-bedroom apartments for rent and eight two-bedroom bungalows available to buy on a shared ownership basis and is the second of three LACE Housing developments to be completed in 2019.
Situated on Marion Close, the development has been named by Washingborough Academy pupils in memory of Marion Brighton OBE.
Sandra said: “We’re so pleased that LACE Housing has chosen to celebrate our mother’s memory in this way.
“She loved the village and it is a fitting tribute to her dedication to its welfare that her name is being honoured in a project that is benefiting the community.”
The new LACE Housing homes are available to anyone over the age of 55 with a connection to the North Kesteven area.
They have been built by Lindum Construction and created in conjunction with North Kesteven and Washingborough Parish councils.
Managing Director of Lindum Construction Simon Gregory said: “We are very pleased to celebrate the successful completion of Brighton Place. These homes have been designed with over 55s in mind, allowing people to remain part of the Washingborough community for longer.
Nick Chambers, who this year celebrates 20 years as Chief Executive of LACE Housing, said:
“With an ever-increasing ageing population it is essential that we do all we can to embrace the challenge of providing much-needed homes that are affordable and designed to support independent living.
“The energy-efficient buildings are of a high quality to stand the test of time and enable people to remain in the community they already know and love as they get older.
“The homes are designed to respond to the needs of residents, not just now but well into the future – offering enhanced services to facilitate independent living at a time when frailty and disability threaten to take that away.”
In the same building as the 26 two-bedroom self-contained apartments, there is a fully furnished communal lounge and kitchen, plus communal seating areas throughout to encourage interaction between residents to prevent loneliness and isolation.
There is also a mobility scooter storage room with charging facilities, communal gardens which include a specially designed dementia walkway as well as bird boxes and hedgehog houses.
Managing Director of Lindum Construction, Simon Gregory, said: “We are very pleased to celebrate the successful completion of Brighton Place. These homes have been designed with over 55s in mind, allowing people to remain part of the Washingborough community for longer.
“I would like to thank the Lindum team for their work, and Site Manager Chris Hammett, who suggested amending the garden to make it ‘dementia friendly’. Chris went on to research the concept, which now includes a mix of flowers with a range of colours and scents to stimulate the senses of those with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
“We are delighted with the final results and this garden will go on to improve the lives and experiences of those who live and visit Brighton Place.”
Pupils from Washingborough Academy will be invited back to Brighton Place to plant the raised beds in the garden and their schoolwork will be showcased on a display board within the building.
This development was made possible thanks to a £1.6m grant from the Government’s Homes England as part its Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes programme and is part of the 82 new Lincolnshire homes being created by LACE Housing in 2019.
Nick added: “We wish to record our most grateful thanks to the entire project team – without whom this development would not have been possible.”
All 26 apartments at Brighton Place have now been allocated but there are still a number of the bungalows available – each of which includes its own garden.
For more information, contact Housing Support Officer Elaine Donaldson on 01522 514444.
