Karbon Homes has started work on a new 124-apartment Extra care scheme in South Tyneside to help broaden supported accommodation options in the borough.
Construction has started on the extra care scheme on Benton Road in South Shields, which is designed to help those with differing levels of care and support needs to live well and independently for longer. Built on the site of the former Chuter Ede school and Ede Community Association, the specialist accommodation is being developed by northern housing association Karbon Homes, in partnership with South Tyneside Council.
The scheme has been designed by Newcastle based JDDK Architects, while Robertson Construction North East has been appointed as the lead contractor. In all, 124 apartments will sit across four storeys, laid out around a central communal courtyard. The scheme will also have lots of spaces for activities, which will be open for community groups to use, alongside a bistro café which will be open to the public.
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The scheme will help address the lack of supported accommodation options in the borough, available to those over the age of 18 with additional needs for independent living. Meanwhile, 25 of the apartments are specifically designed for people living with dementia.
Zoey Hawthorne, group director of development at Karbon Homes, said: “It’s fantastic to be on site marking the start of our second Extra Care scheme in partnership with South Tyneside Council. This is the largest Extra Care scheme we’ve delivered to date, bringing affordable, quality and efficient homes that meet the needs of the local area.
“One of our key ambitions for this project is to provide homes that cater for a diverse mix of residents, from young adults with additional needs to those living with dementia.”
Designers said the scheme will be highly energy efficient, with heating and hot water to be powered by air source heat pumps, with additional energy generated through roof mounted solar PV panels. Benton Road will be the second Extra Care facility built by Robertson for Karbon and South Tyneside Council, the first being a 95-apartment scheme in Hebburn town centre.
Elliot Robertson, chief executive Officer, Robertson Group, said: “Extra Care provision plays an incredibly important societal role and to be delivering a second scheme for Karbon and South Tyneside Council demonstrates their confidence in our team to create high-quality, sustainable homes that offer a supportive place to live.
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“Karbon has developed an Extra Care model that combines specialist design, flexible care provision and community access, giving residents greater independence while ensuring support is available when required. It is with a great sense of pride that we can continue our relationships to deliver a building that enables this model to work in practice, contributes to long term care provision across the region and brings additional community wealth through our work on site.”
Its delivery will be part-funded by Homes England, through Karbon’s Strategic Partnership with the Government’s housing delivery agency. The partnership is supporting Karbon to deliver 2,324 new affordable homes across the North East and Yorkshire by 2028, 10% of which will be new homes for people requiring additional support needs.
Coun Tracey Dixon, Leader of South Tyneside Council said: “It’s exciting to be breaking ground here at Benton Road, on the second of our new Extra Care schemes in the borough.
“Residents have consistently told us that they want to remain living independently in their own communities for as long as possible, rather than moving into residential care.
“That’s why we’re committed to providing a range of specialist accommodation options across South Tyneside so that people with different needs can remain living with support in the borough, staying connected to the places and people that matter most to them.”