New homes to provide more supported living for over 55s in Knowsley

A £14.4 million project to build 122 new homes for over 55s that need extra care and support to live independently is underway in Huyton

Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT), which is part of the First Ark Group, is delivering the Bluebell Park Extra Care Facility in partnership with Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (KMBC).

“Bluebell Park will ensure older people are able to live independently in their own homes, safe in the knowledge that all the help and support they need is available,” said Ian Thomson, Executive Director of Assets at First Ark Group.

Extra Care Housing is housing designed with the needs of older people in mind and offers varying levels of care and support tailored to individual requirements.

Cllr Jayne Aston, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “This development will provide much needed quality housing for those who need extra care in Knowsley.

“As well as providing a range of facilities to the residents the new homes are energy efficient and fit for the future.”

The homes will be built on the site of the former Wingate Towers flats by contractor Bullocks Construction and will comprise of one and two bedroom apartments designed to wheelchair standards.

Communal facilities will include a restaurant and lounge areas, as well as a hairdresser, activity and hobby rooms and a guest bedroom. In addition, care and support facilities will include assisted bathrooms and a laundry as well as well-designed outdoor spaces.

The project has received £2.6million investment from the Homes and Communities Agency’s (HCA) Affordable Homes Programme.

Rhian Davitt, Area Manager at the HCA said: “We’re pleased to see that KHT’s plans are underway for new affordable specialist housing in Knowsley that will meet the needs of the local community.  Bluebell Park will offer a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership units to provide greater housing choice for older people across the Liverpool City Region.”

To help provide lower bills 10 per cent of the energy source for the homes will come from renewable energy through Combined Heat and Power (CHP) boilers which capture and re-use the heat produced in day to day electricity usage.

All of the homes will also be built to a ‘very good’ class from Breaam, which is the leading standard for best practice in sustainable building design, construction and operation and is one of the most comprehensive and widely recognised measures of a development's environmental performance.

The project is due to be completed in the spring of 2014.

“This exciting project will deliver modern and energy efficient homes that provide more independence, fantastic modern facilities and a sense of community for over 55s in Knowsley,” said Ian Thomson, from First Ark Group.