£6.8m Blackburn old people’s complex is ‘great’

7:30pm Tuesday 22nd July 2008

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A MULTI-million pound complex for elderly people is to be built on the site of a former care home.

The £6.8million scheme, made up of more than 50 separate flats and bungalows, will replace the demolished Kingsway home off Montague Street, Blackburn.

Kingsway was shut down in 2006 as part of a council modernisation programme, with about 30 residents forced to move.

The new complex will also include a restaurant, a hair salon, a sensory garden and a multi-faith room on site as well as dedicated dementia care facilities.

The government has agreed funding of £4.1million towards the scheme as one of 25 ‘extra care’ centres across the country.

Another £2.1million is being contributed by the developer, Housing 21, and the council will pay £300,000.

The remainder will be made up by the proceeds from the sale of some of the homes. Extra care housing is part of a social service revamp which aims to let people live in their own homes for longer, instead of going into homes.

A similar scheme has been built at Spring Bank Court at Mill Hill, which opened earlier this year.

Coun David Foster, executive member for adult social care, said: “This is great news for local people. Our existing extra care scheme in Mill Hill has been a huge success,”

The development will include 50 two-bedroom apartments, eight one-bedroom flats and four two-bedroom bungalows. There will also be on site 24-hour home care support, and extra facilities.

Some of the two-bedroom bungalows will be for sale, at about £100,000 each, and the others will be available to rent.

The new building will also replace the former Blackburn Ragged School building, which more recently has housed Ardley day centre and the United Reformed Church.