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Neighbours ‘drop in’ to view new village plan for older people

Neighbours to a new building development for older people in Portsmouth were invited to a behind-the-scenes look at progress this week.

The drop-in session to discuss the multi-million pound Milton Village scheme, off Velder Avenue, was also attended by representatives from Portsmouth City Council, Housing 21 (a registered social landlord which specialises in accommodation for those aged 55 and over), plus building contractors Mansell Construction.

Local people were given information about the first phase of the building work, which includes a 60-bed care home for the elderly with 16 flats adjacent, plus a separate block of 12 flats in the grounds of Avocet House. Also discussed was the social care provision planned for the site and detailed building work schedules. A new computer image and drawings of how the state-of-the-art project will look was available to view for the first time.

Milton Village is the only scheme of its kind in the south to be supported by the Department of Health, which is providing £4.8million of funding. The total cost of the development is over £12million.

When all phases are complete, Milton Village will include both a residential care home, and a total of 65 'extra care' flats designed specifically to meet the needs of older people. The mixture of one and two-bedroom 'extra care' flats will come with round-the-clock support and an individually tailored package of care, enabling older people to maintain their independence for longer. Some of the flats will be rented at affordable prices and others will be available to buy as part of an affordable shared ownership scheme.

The scheme, which should be completed by Christmas 2010, is designed around the concept of a small vibrant community where residents share facilities including gardens, a hairdressers and communal areas.

Portsmouth City Council leader, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, attended the drop-in session. He said: “The aim of the session was to provide local residents with as much information as possible and help work through any problems they may have. Similar sessions are planned in the future so we can keep people informed throughout.”

Date : 08 October 2008