Construction begins on £31m Extra Care housing project in Hebburn
Work is set to get underway on the development of a cutting-edge new Extra Care scheme in Hebburn town centre.
The 95-apartment scheme, on the site of the former Lincoln Court scheme just behind Hebburn Central, is a partnership between northern housing association Karbon Homes and South Tyneside Council, with Robertson Construction North East appointed as the lead contractor for the development.
Zoey Hawthorne, Assistant Director of Development Delivery at Karbon Homes, said: "We're looking forward to work getting underway at Hebburn as we begin the delivery of this exciting new Extra Care development.
"This project represents a major commitment from us to providing affordable, high quality homes, designed for those who have additional support and care needs to live independently. It's fantastic to be partnering with South Tyneside Council to ensure we deliver a scheme that meets the needs of the local area and enables its residents to live life to the full."
The development, designed by North East based architects JDDK, will comprise 20 two-bed and 75 one-bed apartments, 17 of which will be specialist dementia apartments. The homes will be owned and managed by Karbon with South Tyneside Council's Adult Social Care team supporting with the allocation of the apartments.
Bringing more housing of this type to the local authority area forms part of the Council's wider Adult Social Care Accommodation Strategy, aimed at supporting people who may need care and support to live independently in the community.
Cllr Ruth Berkley, Lead Member for Adults, Health and Independence, said: "It's exciting to see work getting underway on this development, which will allow not just our older people, but younger adults with care needs to live in the community with care and support.
"We know this is so important to our residents, who've told us that they want to be able to continue to live independently for as long as possible rather than going into residential care.
"One of our key ambitions is for people to stay healthy and well throughout their lives, and provision of this specialist, affordable accommodation will help us deliver on that ambition."
The Hebburn scheme is the first of a number of potential schemes the partnership hopes to deliver, to help address the lack of specialist affordable accommodation options in the borough.
The design of the scheme puts the community at its heart. With a bistro café, which will be open to the general public, a wellbeing suite with a hair salon and treatment room and multiple communal lounges and multi-use spaces for activities, the scheme will help facilitate community cohesion.
Neil Kennedy, Regional Managing Director for Robertson Construction North East said: "As delivery partner of choice for this forward-thinking Extra Care housing project in Hebburn, our team is committed to delivering high-quality homes that are not only innovative but also tailored for the specific needs of residents.
"This project perfectly aligns with our values of creating positive social impact through construction and building environments that improve lives. Working in partnership with Karbon Homes and South Tyneside Council, we're looking forward to creating a development that enhances community wellbeing and provides much-needed support for independent living."
The delivery of the Hebburn Extra Care scheme is expected to be part-funded by Homes England, through Karbon Homes' Strategic Partnership with the Government's housing delivery agency, within which Karbon has committed to delivering new homes for people requiring additional support needs.