Popular residential home nears completion as builders move out

They have handed over the 4.1m new Warmere Court residential care home to the county council.

Council officers are expected to spend the next month fitting out its 40 bedrooms and eight-place day centre.

Staff will also be trained during that time ready for the first residents to move in around early May.

Their arrival will herald the launch of a new era for the much-loved home. Two campaigns have been fought '“ in 1990 and 1997 '“ by villagers anxious to see the home survive.

Many of the supporters took the chance to tour the home last Friday when the construction company, Warings, hosted an open afternoon.

Gloria Baxter, 81, of Tack Lee Road, said: "We didn't want to lose the home. This is such a pleasant village and people should be able to stay here if they want.

"This new home is wonderful. I am very impressed. There is so much space and light here and there are a lot of power points.

"You could even have a computer in your bedroom if you wanted.

"The old building had become old fashioned and there is no comparision between that one and this one." Neighbours Phyllis Stammers, 92, of Downview Close, and her daughter, Ronnie Graham, were also among the dozens who went along to the home. Mrs Graham said:

"Warings have done the home very well. Building it has not inconvenienced us at all."

Factfile

Warings moved on to the Downview Way site in January last year.

They knocked down the previous 36 bedroom two-storey building, built in 1975, as part of a 45m countywide deal between the county council and Shaw Healthcare to run care homes around West Sussex.

Even the need to remove asbestos and the collapse of the timber frame manufacturer failed to delay the new home's completion. Warings' contracts managter Tim Higginson said up to about 60, mainly British workers, were on site at any time.

"This has probably been the most difficult of the 12 homes we are building," he said. "It is possibly the smallest one and that has created some difficulties but the end product has turned out well.

"The main structure is timber framed. The brickwork on the outside is a facade," he explained.

Each bedroom has an en-suite shower room as well as space for a bed, bedside table, wardrobe, chair and chest of drawers. By contrast, the original home had ten bedrooms sharing two toilets in one wing.

* A 2,000 cheque was presented by Warings to Yapton Parish Council to thank the villagers for their patience during the building works. Council chairman Cllr Stephen Haymes said the money would be spent on the children's playarea at King George V playing field next to the home.

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