Birmingham’s third retirement village opens
The ExtraCare Charitable Trust today opens its third Birmingham retirement village.
Based in Edgbaston, the £45m Hagley Road Village is one of at least five retirement villages planned as part of a £200m development programme between The ExtraCare Charitable Trust and Birmingham City Council. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has also provided £1.25m for the Village's development.
The Village will provide 240 homes for more than 350 people over the age of 55.
Each Village apartment has one or two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, hallway and shower room. Each offers privacy and comfort behind a traditional front door. Many apartments also have their own balcony.
Homes surround a community-based Village Centre with 18 health and leisure facilities, including a restaurant, bar, Village hall, Well-being centre, IT suite, craft room and greenhouse.
Residents' families and friends, as well as volunteers and community groups, will be welcome to visit the Village facilities and use it as a sociable hub, using the Fitness Suite and participating in the activity programme which will include gardening, singing, woodwork, writing and IT.
Qualified ExtraCare staff will provide care to residents who are assessed as needing help. Subject to individual needs and a full assessment, the Village may support some residents with dementia and complex mental health needs. ExtraCare’s award-winning well-being service will provide all residents with advice on healthy living. Based at the Village, the Charity's Care at Home Service already provides care to local older people in the surrounding community.
Homes in the Village are available for outright purchase, shared ownership and rental. 50% shared ownership homes are available from £94,975, and outright purchase homes from £189,950. ExtraCare has sought to ensure that living in the Village is affordable for all. For residents renting a home and claiming full housing and council tax benefit, the approximate weekly cost for a one bedroom home is just £18 per week.
ExtraCare's Chief Executive, Nick Abbey, said: “Increasingly, many older people wish to downsize from their current home or find somewhere to live that supports their future security and care, but without compromising their aspirations in later life. Hagley Road Village provides an innovative way forward, the Village offers comfortable homes that are spacious and affordable, care services for those who need support, and a wide range of social facilities for both residents and the wider community to enjoy. As a charity, The ExtraCare Charitable Trust is committed to ensuring that the opportunity to live in the Village is within the means of the many rather than the few.”
Cllr Steve Bedser, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “This exciting development builds on the success of retirement villages in Newtown and New Oscott and we can be proud of the opportunities being offered to older people in Birmingham. I was hugely impressed when I visited the Hagley Road Village. It offers affordable housing, state-of-the-art facilities and excellent services that give older people independence, mobility and quality of life.”
David Rhead, Senior Area Manager, HCA Midlands Central, said: “Hagley Road Village will provide a choice of homes to local older people which help them to continue to live independently within a new community and provide peace of mind that support is on hand if needed.”
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-Notes to Editors-
About The ExtraCare Charitable Trust: The ExtraCare Charitable Trust enables older people to enjoy a healthier, active and more independent lifestyle in a network of inspirational communities. Founded in 1988, ExtraCare is a registered charity based in Coventry. It operates 3,831 homes within 14 retirement villages and 17 smaller housing developments across the Midlands and the North. Each Housing Scheme or Village has 5 to 18 social, health and leisure facilities that are accessible to over 4,000 residents and up to 5,000 older people living in surrounding communities.
For more information on Hagley Road Village, please visit: www.hagleyroadvillage.co.uk
ExtraCare’s five-year strategy includes a £200m development programme to complete at least five Villages in Birmingham with the City Council, as follows:
- New Oscott Village, Erdington (opened 2010)
- Pannel Croft Village, Newtown (opened 2012)
- Hagley Road Village, Edgbaston (opens 2013)
- Bournville Gardens, Bournville (opens 2015)
- Shaftmoor Lane Village, Hall Green (date to be announced)
For further information, please contact:
Richard Tower, Communications Manager, on 0772 055 3658
Lucy Henson, Communications Officer, on 0789 105 3062
