Continuing care community plans revealed

Ambitious plans to build a £75 million Continuing Care Community in Shrewsbury capable of accommodating up to 250 elderly people - creating 155 new jobs - have been revealed.

Investors behind the scheme say the new bespoke community would help transform social care provision across the county offering new lifestyle choices and tailored care services which treat the elderly community with the dignity they deserve.  

Senescura Ltd says its plans for a 17-acre site adjacent to Hencote Vineyard to the east alongside Ellesmere Road would also include:

• 182 (1, 2 & 3 bedroom) Extra Care and Close Care apartments and bungalows
• 75-bed nursing home containing an integrated specialist dementia unit
• Community centre providing treatment and therapy rooms, swimming pool and gym, lounges, restaurant and cinema room, communal gardens all within a high quality landscaped setting 
• Specialised graduated care for the elderly; domiciliary care for all

Senescura chairman Andy Stevens said the community would offer a genuine choice to traditional residential and nursing care and allow its residents the best quality of life for the longest possible time all within a real ‘home for life’.

“There is widespread agreement that there is a significant shortfall in care provision for over-65s across the county and our plans will give Shrewsbury a purpose-built, modern solution of which it can be truly proud. At the moment if you are an elderly owner-occupier in Shropshire, there is a limited choice if you are considering moving into accommodation which offers care provision.

“The Hencote Continuing Care Community will dramatically widen that choice – offering high-quality, independent living in a superb location, with graduated care on hand to guarantee that all residents get the support they need at every stage of their life.

“It represents a unique development in Shropshire. Though similar schemes have been hugely successful elsewhere in England, this is one that will specifically help take some of the pressure off our really hard-pressed public sector care providers and Shropshire Council.”

The community, to be run by award-winning specialist LifeCare Residences, would be restricted to people aged over 65.

Andy Stevens said it would also represent a significant inward investment in the county, with extensive and far reaching long term benefits to the local jobs market and local suppliers.

“Experience shows that the great majority of the staff will be recruited locally, where we will seek to use local firms and contractors throughout the development of the site. This will be a beacon of excellence which will place Shrewsbury on the national map for the quality of its social care provision at a time when we are desperately short of solutions to our care crisis.”

Paul Harries, executive chairman of LifeCare Residences Ltd, said: “We were approached by Senescura who recognise the acute and growing needs of the elderly Shropshire population.

“They are committed to providing the highest standards of care and age-appropriate accommodation in the county. We have had over 40 years of experience in doing that, providing high quality care services to the elderly both here in England and in our native New Zealand.

“We have been looking to grow our business beyond London and the home counties, where Shropshire’s needs combined with Senescura’s vision was very compelling.”

Pictured: Bespoke accommodation at a similar scheme run by LifeCare Residences in Hampshire