New homes for people with learning and physical disabilities have officially opened in Berkshire, thanks to investment from Wokingham Borough Council and the Homes and Communities Agency.
Built on a former mobile homes site at Hillside Park, Shinfield, the scheme offers comfortable and safe new flats for nine people with learning and physical disabilities, as well as one which can be used by carers, and two bungalows for older people.
Hillside Park is the first scheme to be built by the borough council’s housing company – Wokingham Housing Ltd (WHL) and allows residents to live as independently as possible. And residents are supported by care workers from the council’s social care company Optalis.
The HCA invested £350,000 through its Care and Support Specialised Housing fund to support the building of ten new units on the site. It is the first development in England supported by the fund to have been completed.
The flats are built to Lifetime Homes standard and can be adapted to meet the changing needs of their residents, who moved into them earlier this year.
Cllr John Kaiser, executive member for highways and planning, said: “These new specialist flats offer excellent modern accommodation for some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents. Delivering homes to meet the needs of local people is a key priority for the council and this particular scheme allows vulnerable people of all ages to live a full and independent life. And, I am pleased they are settling in well to their new homes.”
Peter Jones, the Homes and Communities Agency’s head of area, said: “This terrific scheme is one of many we have supported as part of our work to create new and affordable homes for older and vulnerable people in England. Schemes like Hillside Park are vitally important for local communities, because of the difference they make to the areas in which they are based and the quality of people’s lives. It’s great to see this scheme successfully completed and I do hope that residents are very happy at Hillside Park.”
Robin Fielder from Wokingham Housing Ltd said: “The homes at Hillside Park offer the residents safe supported accommodation and allow them to live independent lives in the community. The collaboration between Wokingham Housing Ltd and the council ensured that the scheme was specified to meet the resident’s needs, was developed to a high standard and the value of the scheme was retained for the local community. We very much look forward to delivering further projects including redevelopment of Eustace Crescent, and the former Fosters care home.”