Extra Care Housing Scheme gets Government cash boost

Government funding has given a boost to a £10million Bexhill development that will help older people live independently.

Care and Support Minister, Norman Lamb, announced last week that the Sidley Extra Care Scheme will benefit from a £2.36million cash boost.

The Bexhill project is being driven forward by East Sussex County Council, Rother District Council and AmicusHorizon, the registered provider, and will be developed on the former Sidley School site – land contributed by the county council.

The development will include 58 flats, a mixture of one and two bedrooms available for shared ownership or affordable rent, a restaurant, hairdressing room and communal areas, some of which will be available for community use.

Cllr Bill Bentley, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for adult social care, said: “Extra care schemes are a great way to offer older people with care needs the chance to live independently with the assurance of 24 hour on-site support.

“East Sussex County Council has worked hard with partners to drive forward the development of extra care schemes. There are many positives to such projects including offering an alternative to residential care and high cost community care for older people, allowing couples to continue to live together and helping to combat social isolation.

“As well as providing much-needed accommodation for older people, the scheme will be a boost to the local economy providing as many as 30 jobs. The development will offer a space for local community groups to meet and increase the footfall in Sidley High Street. It will be a real asset to the community as a whole.”

East Sussex County Council will commission a care and support service for the project, whilst Amicus Horizon will be responsible for the scheme development and ongoing management.

Paul Hackett, Chief Executive of AmicusHorizon, said: “We’re really proud to be part of this unique funding partnership which will see Bexhill benefit from a fantastic scheme.”

The Bexhill project will be one of seven extra care schemes to be built in East Sussex. Five are already up and running and a sixth will be built in Hailsham.

Further information

Notes to Editors

This is one of the first schemes to be funded under the DH Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund. The fund supports and accelerates development of the specialised housing market, particularly in this difficult economic time.

There are clear health, wellbeing and preventative benefits for older people who live in extra care housing.

There are currently five extra care housing schemes supported by East Sussex County Council.

East Sussex County Council, Saxon Weald and Wealden District Council are working together to develop an extra care housing scheme in Battle Road, Hailsham to be completed in early 2015.
AmicusHorizon is one of the largest housing associations in London and the South East of England, with 28,000 homes in Kent, East Sussex, Sussex West, Surrey and South London

The Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund was announced by the Department of Health in the White paper Caring for our future: reforming care and support published in July 2012. The main aim of the fund is to support and accelerate the development of the specialised housing market, particularly at a time when the wider economic factors may place limitations on the growth of this market.