Saxon Weald wins more than £1m to build new homes for older people

JPCT 071212 Official opening of Leggyfield Court, Saxon Weald's first Extra Care housing development for older people with care and support needs. Residents Peggy and Peter Ansell. Photo by Derek Martin

Saxon Weald was one of 86 organisations in England to be given money to build homes for older and disabled people.

It received £930,000 from the Homes and Communities Agency’s (HCA) Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund to build 25 new homes for older people on the site of Adur View, an outdated retirement scheme in Upper Beeding, West Sussex, which closed in 2012.

Four apartments will be for shared equity sale and the rest for affordable rent.

The housing association also received £179,100 from the HCA’s Affordable Homes Guarantees Programme towards the cost of redeveloping the Peacocks retirement scheme in Partridge Green, West Sussex.

This also closed last year because it did not meet modern housing standards.

The scheme will be replaced with six one and two-bedroom apartments for retired people and three two and three-bedroom family homes.

Saxon Weald has allocated an additional £320,000.

Business Development Director Mark Crosby said: “This grant money is a sign of the HCA’s confidence in Saxon Weald’s Development team to deliver high-quality, affordable homes.”

Work on both schemes is expected to start in autumn this year and will be completed by spring of 2015.