Winchester City Council’s £16m Extra Care Scheme Chesil Lodge is complete
A new state-of-the-art £16m development specially created to help older residents with care needs live independently is now complete.
Chesil Lodge offers 52 extra care apartments for rent, shared ownership and sale – that will cater for residents over the age of 55.
The scheme at Chesil Street, is funded by Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council, Homes England and a gift from the late Winchester-born resident Harold Harris.
The idea behind the project is the concept of Extra Care which provides people with their own individual apartment, coupled with access to communal spaces, in modern, high-quality, attractive buildings, close to local facilities.
Cllr Caroline Horrill, Leader of Winchester City Council said:
“We live in a society where people are living longer and we have a duty of care to the older members of society. This development supports older residents by providing them with a high quality of life right in the heart of Winchester.
“Importantly this is a top quality building that will benefit present and future generations of Winchester residents. It is also a way to free up larger homes for families by allowing people who need extra help the opportunity of Chesil Lodge.”
It shows that the Council is making progress on its ambitious target of building 600 new homes over the next three years.
The development is a mixture of one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments that are designed for independent living. It also offers an excellent range of communal facilities, including a restaurant, laundry, treatment rooms and lounges.
Services at Chesil Lodge will be opening on July 16, and tenants will start moving in later this month.
On top of that it’s energy efficient, having minimal heating costs subsidised by the latest renewable technology of solar panels on the roof. Residents will also enjoy the benefits of Wi-Fi throughout the building.
Hampshire County Council invested £3 million for the commissioning of care for people living in the development, which is part of the authority’s programme to fund more than £40m over a decade on Extra Care schemes.
Care is available all year round on-site, to be used progressively by people as their needs change - avoiding early or unnecessary entry into residential or nursing homes and, importantly, hospital admission.