Generations unite to celebrate pioneering retirement scheme
Pensioners, school pupils and councillors will be amongst 100 guests armed with shovels to bury a giant time capsule on the construction site of the city’s pioneering £15m retirement project.
Guests will bring time capsule gifts marking the site’s past, present and future as part of a ceremony that celebrates the beginning of foundation work on The Rose Garden Independent Living Scheme, a partnership development involving Herefordshire Council, Elgar Housing Association and The ExtraCare Charitable Trust. The scheme is being built by Pettifer Construction Ltd on the site of the former local authority nurseries off Ledbury Road and is scheduled to open in 2008.
Ninety-one self-contained apartments will be available for affordable rent, part-purchase and outright purchase, with up to 24-hour care delivered in residents’ own homes should they require it. Local people over the age of 55 will be able to apply for a place in the scheme when applications open next year.
At its heart, The Rose Garden will provide a state-of-the-art social and leisure centre with opportunities for 150 residents to learn new skills such as painting, choir singing, woodwork and tai chi. The 15 facilities will include a restaurant, shop, bar, fitness gym, IT centre, woodwork shop, arts and craft room and a greenhouse. Affordable club membership will enable hundreds of local older residents to use the facility as a drop-in centre, whilst visiting volunteers and families will ensure the scheme is integrated into community life.
Cllr Olwyn Barnett, Herefordshire Council, says “The council is very supportive of the scheme and we are delighted that it is coming to fruition. We look forward to the day when it’s completed and people can move in.”
Richard Grounds, Commercial Director, Elgar Housing Association says: "Burying the time capsule marks an exciting stage in the progress of this brand new development for older people in Herefordshire. We think that the scheme will set new standards and are keen to see the new development taking shape."
John Payne, Partnership Director at The ExtraCare Charitable Trust says:
“The Government wants innovation in the delivery of older peoples’ housing. With this scheme, we believe our partnership has found a creative solution that is popular with residents who want support and security at an affordable cost, without losing the independence and opportunity that they hold so dear.”
