English Version - Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council

Connect The community magazine for Blaenau Gwent
Winter 2009
Winter 2009
The community magazine for Blaenau Gwent
Connect
£12 million investment in new
accommodation with care services
for older people
New partnership extra care housing schemes in
Blaenau Gwent will ‘break the mould’ in the type of
housing and care we provide for older people.
The first new extra care housing project is taking shape at College
Road in Ebbw Vale.
A total of 41 new one and two
bedroom flats are being built
by one of the Council’s partner
housing associations - Linc
Cymru. The £5.5 million scheme
will be ready next summer.
“
The flats will
offer security,
companionship and
independence
”
Extra care is a new concept in
care for older people - part of an
overall strategy designed to meet
the needs of vulnerable older
people in Blaenau Gwent for the
years ahead.
Make no mistake, Blaenau Gwent
Council’s “Living Independently in
the 21st Century” strategy is bold
and innovative.
With partners like Linc Cymru and
United Welsh, we are investing
to improve our resource base
and provide an increased range
of services. These services are
planned to allow older people to
retain their independence in the
community.
What’s planned for the new extra
care flats? They will offer high
quality living for more vulnerable
older people within a safe
environment. The flats will offer
security, companionship and
independence.
All the new extra care flats will
have a domiciliary care team able
to assist tenants with care needs
24 hours a day.
Other facilities at College Road
will include a dining room serving
freshly cooked nutritious meals,
a hairdressing salon and a shop.
These facilities will be accessible
to the local community. There
will be a full programme of social
events.
Planning permission was recently
awarded for another 44 flats in
Nantyglo - on the former Hafod
Dawel site. The investment in
the two sites will total at least
£12 million. This development
has been commissioned with
United Welsh. Work will start in
early 2010 and the flats should
be ready late in 2011. A third
complex is being considered for
the Tredegar area.
Key facts on
Extra Care homes
Coming in August 2010 – the
first 41 extra care flats from Linc
Cymru.
44 more flats from United Welsh
should be completed in 2011.
Tenants will be ‘Living
independently in the 21st
century’ – with 24 hour
domiciliary care team.
The first two schemes are
College Road, Ebbw Vale and
the Hafod Dawel site, Nantyglo.
£12 million plus investment
includes £10 million in grants
from the Welsh Assembly
Government.
Our social housing partners are
Linc Cymru and United Welsh
What you said...
6
Caring for older people
43% of you agree there is a lack
of specially adapted properties
for older or disabled people
9% of you said you look after
family or friends because of
long-term illness
Neighbourliness
61% of you said you
know many people in your
community.
Nantyglo next
While building continues on the
first Extra Care complex of 41 flats
– pictured right – the construction
of 44 more flats is going to start
in 2010 at the Hafod Dawel site –
pictured left – in Nantyglo.
United Welsh will be building the
new Nantyglo complex.
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f o r C o u n c i l n e w s & i n f o r m a t i o n v i s i t w w w . b l a e n a u - g w e n t . g o v . u k
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