Milestone for new Housing 21 development

Published by 792 for Housing 21 in Housing and also in Communities, Health, Local Government

Progress on the development of a new Housing 21 extra care facility for older people in Richmond was celebrated yesterday with a special topping out ceremony.

Project partners in the multi-million development at Greyfriars in Flints Terrace watched as Derek Law, Corporate Director for Adult and Community Services with North Yorkshire County Council placed the final tile on the roof.

The event marks a major stage in the £6.2 million development to provide 39 self-contained two bedroom apartments for rent and shared ownership.  

Clare Hemming, development programme manager for Housing 21 said: “Greyfriars will provide good quality apartments and independent living for older people. It will be a great asset to the local community too with facilities including a restaurant, hairdressing salon, lounge, resource room and assisted bathroom.”

Partners in the project include Housing 21, North Yorkshire County Council, Richmondshire District Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and Frank Haslam Milan North East.

Derek Law said:  “What we are doing at Greyfriars  – and indeed across North Yorkshire – is widely seen as the way we should all be progressing in the field of social care.  When people need to be cared for, that care should be provided for them in homes of their own, so that they can lead independent lives as far as possible in their local community but with the availability of 24-hour support.”

Colin Dales, Assistant Director, Richmondshire District Council said: “We have been working on this project for a long time and it’s really exciting to watch it take shape. The topping out ceremony marks an important milestone in delivering this important scheme for our residents. A special thank-you needs to go out to the ex-Lile Close residents who have had to suffer a lot of disruption and inconvenience in order to make this project happen – it will be good to see them returning to these new homes as soon as possible.”

The development at Greyfriars has been helped with funding of £2.19 million from the Homes and Communities Agency.  Abdul A Ravat, project manager for the Homes and Communities Agency said: “This topping out is great news in that it brings these 35 homes for older people closer to completion. The partnership we have developed with Housing 21 and Richmondshire and North Yorkshire Councils and Frank Haslam Homes has meant that our investment of £2.1 million has enabled this scheme to be built to help meet the housing needs of local people.”

Greyfriars has been built on the site of a former sheltered housing scheme and residential care home.  Each apartment is designed for wheelchair access and will have its own sitting room, fully fitted kitchen, walk-in shower and non-slip flooring to the kitchen and bathroom.  An on-site team will provide care and support, tailored to meet individual needs.

Jonathan Horner, Operations Manager at FHM North East, said: “We are very pleased to have developed Greyfriars, which will provide independent, safe and secure housing for older people.  This new extra care scheme will bring the local community together and I am sure that the residents will be delighted with their new home and the facilities that are available on site.”

A webpage on the development has been set up on North Yorkshire County Council’s website www.northyorks.gov.uk/greyfriars. Construction work at Greyfriars is due to complete at the end of June, 2011.