Torus opens 178-home Wirral scheme

Built by Anwyl Homes, the 102-bed over-55s care scheme is part of Torus’ £25m investment into the area, which has already seen 76 houses and bungalows constructed.

The care development will provide one- and two-bedroom flats with flexible on-site care from Wallasey-based Professional Care, bringing the total number of homes at the 11-acre former Rock Ferry School site to 178.

Each apartment will provide a kitchen, a living area, a bathroom with an ensuite level access wet room, and technological enhancements, such as “linked and connected fall pendants and activity sensors”, to support residents, according to Torus chief executive Steve Coffey.

Across the Lovelock Mitchell-designed care scheme, guest rooms, communal areas both indoors and outdoors, and assisted bathrooms have been installed. Pozzoni Architecture was the concept designer.

The three-storey development features a resident-exclusive bistro with a dining area and a hair and beauty salon across its ground floor.

Accessibility has been considered site-wide, with flat surfaces and lift provision.

There will be 93 single-bed extra care apartments, as well as nine two-bed extra care apartments with all being provided at affordable rent

Torus and Wirral Council are collaborating to let the Spinnaker House apartments at affordable rent, 80% of current market levels.

Rents for a two-bed extra care flat sit at £280/week, with one-bedroom flats hovering around £220/week.

The remainder of the scheme constitutes 66 houses and 10 bungalows.

The houses on offer range from 19 two-beds, 39 three-beds, and eight four-bed two-storey houses.

Of the houses and bungalows, 19 will be for shared ownership, all of which have been sold.

Housing association Torus bought the former 1920s high school site in 2020. The Rock Ferry High School was demolished in 2016.

An adjacent Victorian house named Ravenswood remains standing and will eventually be converted into a further eight apartments.

Coffey added: “Spinnaker House is the key part of this large-scale brownfield regeneration project supported by an over £5m in Homes England grant that has rejuvenated a disused site into what will be a thriving community that meets the needs of local people.”

Cllr Paul Stuart, Leader of Wirral Council, said: “We [the council] are leading the way on this scheme by making council-owned land for much-needed specialist housing available for people of all ages.

“We know that the population of older people in Wirral is increasing and we’re responding to that change.”

Mosaic Town Planning was the project’s planning consultant.