PRP designs UK's largest Extra Care PFI project

PRP has been appointed as lead architect on a new £200+ million extra care housing PFI scheme recently secured with Cheshire County Council. Gleeson Building was awarded the £65 million contract to design and construct the five extra care home facilities following a lengthy period of negotiation and planning.

The Cheshire Extra Care housing project is the largest PFI initiative of its kind to date and on completion will deliver over 430 extra care dwellings in five locations across the county. Cheshire County Council selected avantage to design, build and operate five Extra Care Housing developments. avantage is the consortium made up of Harvest Housing Group, MJ Gleeson Group and Nationwide Building Society.

With the number of older people over 85 across the UK set to increase at six times the rate of the rest of the population, this project was initiated by Cheshire County Council in response to their rapidly growing need for a new generation of 'housing with care' for the region's aging population.

John Weeks, Director of Community Services at Cheshire County Council, said: "These schemes will revolutionise the way in which we approach maintaining long term independence and support for our older citizens. Each development will provide not only a home but one in a real community environment where people will have access to a broad range of amenities and services that will help to maintain their independence in the manner of their choice."

The five 'villages' will provide homes for the over-60's built on brownfield sites located in Handforth, Ellesmere Port, Middlewich, Winsford and Crewe. These villages are based on a model often termed 'extra care', which provides self contained independent living apartments, a range of communal facilities in the form of a 'village centre' and ancillary and service accommodation that includes a base for care staff who will provide care and assistance to older residents in their own homes as they become more frail.

Each development includes self-contained apartments, 24-hour on-call staff, a hair salon, library, IT suite, restaurant and village hall as well as other innovative facilities for both residents and the wider community. They will also offer a combination of properties to rent, buy and part-buy.

Roger Battersby, managing director of PRP, concluded: "Reaching financial close on the UK's largest extra care housing PFI is a significant milestone. With the demographics of an ageing population, it is essential that we take a longer term view with regard to housing and care provision for older people. Our schemes have been designed to create an enabling environment where older residents can enjoy a fulfilling and independent lifestyle within their local communities."

The project was officially launched on 7 November when key partners, avantage and Cheshire County Council, publicly signed the official documents.

Construction is due to start in November and, significantly, the five schemes will be built in parallel, with the first development due to be opened in January 2009.