Belong Birkdale tops out

Care village Belong Birkdale is on target for its opening in late 2019, following a topping-out ceremony on the £16m scheme.

Belong’s chief executive, Tracey Stakes, was joined by Sefton’s cabinet member for adult social care, Cllr Paul Cummins in laying the final roof tile.

Cummins said: “Belong is a pioneering organisation in the field of care, so I’m delighted to play a role in the completion of its new Birkdale village. The range of services and facilities it will provide will bring a whole host of benefits to the people of Sefton, which I am very much looking forward to seeing.”

The development through Belong’s partnership with Octopus Healthcare was designed by Pozzoni, and is being delivered by Pochin’s.

Once opened, the Birkdale village will provide dementia care and high-specification accommodation for more than 100 people, including 24-hour support across six extended family-sized households and 30 one or two-bedroom independent living apartments. Facilities in the development that will also be available to the public include a bistro, hair salon, exercise studio and function rooms.

Stakes said: “We are thrilled to mark the completion of the main building work at our first seaside village. It’s in a perfect location and we are really looking forward to bringing our award-winning services and facilities to the local area, which we are confident will quickly prove an asset to both older people and the wider community.”