Sanctuary announces £20 million hospital accommodation project » Housing » 24dash.com

Sanctuary Group has embarked on a £20 million project to build more affordable accommodation for staff at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge.

Sanctuary, a leading UK housing association, will build four blocks of one, two and three-bed apartments on the Addenbrookes site, providing a total of 292 new en-suite bed spaces for junior doctors, nurses and other hospital staff.

The purchase of land from Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has just been completed on a 99-year lease, which followed planning permission being granted in April. Building work is expected to start before Christmas and be completed by spring 2010.

The day-to-day management of the accommodation, including room allocation, issuing of tenancies, rent collection, maintenance and cleaning, will be handled by Sanctuary Management Services (SMS), the facilities management services subsidiary of Sanctuary Group.

Sanctuary Group has already refurbished 791 units of accommodation on the site, which are also managed by SMS.

The entire project is expected to cost over £20 million and the buildings will feature heating systems which use air-based heat to convert solar energy into electricity to power free standing signs. There will also be a site office.

Hilary Gardner, Sanctuarys Commercial Director, said: We are thrilled to be building on the strong relationship we have with the Trust by providing more quality, affordable accommodation to meet the needs of its key workers.

Law firm Wragge & Co have been Sanctuarys legal advisors on the project.