Council signs £54m contract for older person’s village in Flitwick

A £54 million contract with Farrans Construction was signed by the Central Bedfordshire Council to start working on a new village in Flitwick, especially for older people.

The Steppingley Road development will see a 72-bed care home, 88 independent living apartments and an eight-bed short stay unit built on the former leisure centre site.

The Flitwick development includes a café, medical rooms, hairdressers and community gardens for residents to use and enjoy.

Director of Adult Social Care, Health, and Housing, Julie Ogley added: “After a robust tender process Farrans were awarded the contract based on best value, quality and their strong track record and expertise in delivering construction projects of this nature on time and to budget.”

The building is designed to meet dementia-friendly guidelines to provide a safe environment for residents.

The care home will replace Ferndale when it is built with construction to finish in 2024.

The building is to be built with the highest sustainable standards.

Cllr. Eugene Ghent, Executive Member for Assets and Housing said: “Our housing stock needs to work for everybody, and this older person’s village is a huge step forward in delivering our ambition to deliver variety in housing choices. I am looking forward to the moment when the development is opened.”

He added: “We know there is strong demand for healthy and safe later life living with people looking to live in supportive communities with good access to community facilities.”

Cathal Montague, Regional Director at Farrans, said: "This is an exciting milestone as we prepare to begin on-site with this important project for Central Bedfordshire Council. Steppingley Road Older Person's Village will progress the council's agenda to deliver future-proof, high-quality residential facilities.”

He added: “Our team will be bringing our expertise and knowledge of the senior living sector to Steppingley Road Older Person's Village, meeting dementia-friendly guidelines and incorporating the highest standards of sustainability to achieve Passivhaus accreditation."

This will be the council’s fourth major development to support its housing strategy to provide housing for older people in the area.