Turf cut on new £8m care home for Shrewsbury
A ceremony has been held to mark the start of work on Shrewsbury's new £8m care home.
The 90-room residential and nursing home is being built on the site of the former TA centre, on Sundorne Road, by Shropshire's largest independent care provider, the not-for-profit Coverage Care Services.
Once in full operation, before the end of 2016, the site is expected to employ around 130 people, creating new jobs in the area.
Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Beverley Baker, performed the ceremonial turf cutting with Coverage Care's chairman, Kenneth Bean, Shrewsbury Town Council member for Sundorne, Councillor Kevin Pardy, and Coverage Care chief executive, David Coull.
They were joined to mark the occasion by representatives of residents and staff from nearby Crowmoor House, which is operated by Coverage Care but which will be replaced due to its age by the new home.
Invited guests from the care sector, the developers, Castlemead Group, architects DWA and RBS, which is providing finance for the project, were also in attendance.
Mayor Councillor Baker told the gathering: “I think the placing of this, having spoken to the local councillors, is ideal. It's going to be very good for the community, it's going to add to the community, it's going to add to the area. All in all it's going to be an asset to the town and I'm glad it's being developed here.”
David Coull said: “A new care home of this size is a major undertaking and it will be an important addition to the town. It was important to us to mark this start to the build with the people who have helped us to make it happen as well as those to whom it will become home and a place of work.
“While we had a ceremonial digging of the turf, it's really good to note that we already have rapid progress on the groundwork and footings, so already the building is taking shape and we can't wait to see it rise out of the ground to become an attractive new feature of this part of Shrewsbury.”
