New Charter handed keys to £3.5m extra-care unit in Tameside

Published by KBarnes for New Charter Housing Trust Group in Housing and also in Communities, Health

New Charter has been handed the keys to its new £3.5m flagship development which will provide state-of-the-art accommodation and support for older residents and people suffering from dementia.

Named after famous author Beatrix Potter who has family connections to the area, Beatrix House is one of only four extra-care units in Tameside.

It is due to open in the summer and is the first scheme of its kind for New Charter who will own and manage the development.

With 31 self-contained apartments Beatrix House is built to encourage people to live independently with round-the-clock tailored support from health care professionals.

It will cater for residents aged 55+ as well as people with all levels of dementia.

On-site facilities include a café bistro, hair salon, communal and private lounges, games and activities room, laundry and an electric scooter store.

The unit will also feature top of the range services including walk-in shower rooms, assisted bathing facilities, lifts on all floors and the latest care technology.

New Charter has funded the Gorse Hall Road development with grant support from the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Outside gardens have been specially designed with different smells and colours to stimulate residents’ senses.

And, an indoor reminiscence room will display iconic items from different decades to aid people’s treatment.

Beatrix House is to become a hub for the community with residents from surrounding areas able to take advantage of its many services from the café to the hairdressers.

Referrals to the scheme will be made after assessments from adult social care services.

Sean Stafford, New Charter’s director of development said: “Beatrix House is a landmark development for New Charter and being the handed the keys means we are a step closer to seeing the first residents move in.

“We’ve never built a scheme like this before at what makes it different if the specialist support it will provide for older people together with an excellent living environment.

“All of the apartments are carefully designed to promote independent living and a range built-in technology will help to increase residents’ safety.

“Beatrix House has also been built with the residents’ families and the community in mind so they too can take advantage of the fantastic services it has to offer.”