Telford supported living scheme reaches highest point
A new supported living scheme in Telford has reached its highest point and development partners have joined together to celebrate the milestone.
Midlands-based Deeley Construction has been constructing the new £17 million Extra Care Housing scheme on behalf of social housing provider Preferred Homes Ltd.
Work started on the 72-apartment affordable rent extra care scheme on Grange Avenue, Stirchley, in May 2023, and a topping out ceremony was held at the development to celebrate the construction milestone.
Key partner Homes England is helping to fund the new development through the Affordable Homes Programme.
Findlay MacAlpine, CEO of Preferred Homes, said: “This milestone takes us one step closer to delivering 72 new affordable homes for Telford, and to creating an asset for the Stirchley community where they can live, work and come together.
“Our ambition is to provide high quality extra care housing that ensures people can live well into their later years, regardless of their financial means.
“That wouldn’t be possible without our work in partnership with local councils like Telford & Wrekin and those delivering on the ground like Deeley, who share our vision of establishing excellent places that support the health and wellbeing of their residents.”
Preferred Homes has partnered with Telford & Wrekin Council to deliver the facility which will provide affordable rented Extra Care Housing for local people. Extra Care Housing (ECH) supports residents to live independently and within a community, with access to care support on site and communal facilities and activities, improving wellbeing and reducing the burden on public services.
The Council is committed to delivering more support and specialist housing through its Specialist and Supported Accommodation Strategy, which contributes to the area’s overall Housing Strategy.
Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways, Housing and Enforcement, said: “It’s fantastic to see this new supported living facility come to fruition - transforming this site and bringing it back into use.
“The project aligns with our Specialist and Supported Accommodation Strategy and highlights our commitment to provide more specialist housing for our residents across the borough.
“Bringing this site back into use was an integral piece in the redevelopment of Stirchley, centred around the school development, and the support living accommodation which has been created is a huge boost for Stirchley and our residents.”
The Stirchley development will provide homes for retirees who can live independently but require personal care.
Construction work is expected to be completed in February 2025, with the first residents moving in shortly afterwards.
When completed, alongside 72 apartments, the development will feature generous community space for social activities and a community café.
It is the first project which Coventry-headquartered Deeley Construction, which is part of Deeley Group, has delivered in partnership with Preferred Homes Ltd.
Martin Gallagher, Managing Director of Deeley Construction, said: “It’s fantastic to see our first development with Preferred Homes Ltd hit this key milestone.
“Our team has been on site for the last 12 months and delivered the work in a live environment, liaising with local stakeholders and residents to ensure as little disruption as possible.
“This is a development which will offer a wide range of benefits to people in the Telford area and we look forward to celebrating its completion next year.”
Richard Frank, Property Director at Preferred Homes, said: “It has been a great experience working alongside our partner Deeley Construction in delivering what will be a truly transformational development of Affordable Extra Care housing for Telford.
Its impact will be far reaching for many years to come and we look forward to welcoming our residents in the New Year.”
Shahi Islam, Director for Affordable Housing Grants at Homes England, added: “Homes England is delighted to be able to use grant funding from the Affordable Housing Programme to support this scheme. It provides much needed housing for older people and speaks to the Agency’s commitment to support the strategic priorities of the Combined Authority.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, and Chair of the WMCA, said: "The West Midlands has a great record of building houses, but I don’t want us to just think about the numbers, I want us to think about the people that will live in them.
“This development will allow more of our residents to live safely, independently and in their own homes for longer, instead of having to go into a care home.
“This scheme will genuinely benefit and improve the lives of so many of our residents, not just those that require care.
“Preferred Homes Ltd have built homes that are genuinely affordable - something I fully support. There are too many people in our society left excluded because there are simply too few affordable and social homes being built or protected.
“That’s why I am in talks with government about relaxing restrictions on our multi-million-pound housing war chest. I want to be able to use that funding to support schemes that can deliver more homes for those communities that need them most. This way we can begin to fix the housing crisis that is blighting so many lives across our region.”
