Green light for St Helens extra care scheme

Plans by housing group Torus for an extra care scheme in St Helens, designed by architect Brock Carmichael, have been approved.

The £13m scheme is part of a wider masterplan developed by Brock Carmichael for a private landowner, from whom Torus purchased a plot fronting the junction of Atlas and Standish Streets earlier this year, conditional to securing planning consent for this scheme.

When complete, the facility will be made up of 109 one-bedroom and 21 two-bedroom apartments, a bistro and hairdressers that will be open to the public, along with associated facilities including landscaped gardens.

On the application’s submission, Bill Lacey, director of development at Torus, said: “This is the first project we’ve undertaken with Brock Carmichael and from the outset they seemed to understand our vision completely.

“Most developers focus on homes for first time buyers and growing families. Whilst that’s important, and indeed forms a large part of our development programme, we believe that there’s a real need for later life homes too.

“We were looking for something innovatively and sensitively planned and designed; homes developed as communities where older people can live sociable, fulfilling and healthy lives.”

John Cassell, partner at Brock Carmichael, said: “The design team at Brock Carmichael credits Yvonne Westhead Fyles, development manager at Torus, whose determination and drive has brought this concept to a reality.”