Extra care apartments gain consent

Plans have been approved for a £2.7m Eden Housing Association project to build extra care apartments for older people in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria.

The development comprises of 19 self-contained apartments and communal facilities, replacing the existing Mill Gardens building on Hartley Road, which will be demolished.

Residents of Mill Gardens have been temporarily re-housed, with many opting to return to the new scheme on completion.

The new apartments have been designed by Kirkham architect Croft Goode.

The building contractor is Thomas Armstrong, Cumbria.

The scheme has been designed to meet level three of the Code for Sustainable Homes, as well as the Secure by Design Award and Lifetime Homes Design Standards.

Eden Housing Association is funding the project with support from the Homes & Communities Agency and a grant from Cumbria County Council.

John Clasper, managing director of Eden Housing Association, said: "We consulted with our residents during the design process and are very pleased with the final design. It makes best use of the existing footprint, creating lighter more modern homes and communal areas for our residents."

David Croft, director of Croft Goode architects, said: "This scheme will transform Mill Gardens into modern and fit-for-purpose accommodation for the over 55s.

"It has been designed to meet the needs of the residents as they change and will enable many to continue to live independently, but in a secure environment, for many years to come."

Extra care schemes provide self-contained housing for older people looking to live independently in secure accommodation, or those who need specialist care.