Work set to begin on £23million extra care housing development

A groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of building work on an affordable rent extra care housing development designed to support older people to live independently for longer.

Surrey County Council is collaborating with Places for People, a leading social enterprise and specialist housing provider, to bring the development to fruition on a disused site in Guildford, with artist impressions showing how the completed building will look. 

Meadowcroft Lodge will provide 59 one and two-bedroom apartments for people receiving social care support from the county council, with all homes to be available at affordable rents. A range of communal facilities also feature in the plans, such as a café and gardens. The £23million development is being funded by Places for People – including a £4.6million Homes England grant. 

Councillors, project leaders and members of the local community gathered at the site in Westborough to mark the beginning of a project which aims to support older residents to lead active and independent lives in the community, reducing reliance on residential care. Extra care housing gives people their own front doors with the reassurance that a 24-hour care and support provider is on hand as needed.

Meadowcroft Lodge is the first in a series of affordable extra care housing developments that the council is planning for Surrey, with 725 apartments set to be provided at schemes across the county by 2030 as part of its Right Homes, Right Support Strategy. A further seven sites have outline planning permission, in Worcester Park, Camberley, Ottershaw, Banstead, Redhill, Egham and Lingfield.

The Guildford development is due to see residents move in from early 2027 and will create extra jobs for Surrey.

Under the arrangement, the county council is providing the land – on the site of the old Pond Meadow school – while Places for People is the housing manager. Once built, Places for People will work closely with a CQC-registered care provider to make sure residents get the care and support they need. Developers bmor, with the assistance of development management company Trigon, have appointed CField Construction to build Meadowcroft Lodge.

After the ceremonial first shovel hit the ground, assembled guests at the groundbreaking event on 27 February heard more about how the building will take shape.

The state-of-the-art Guildford development will be tailored to the needs of people who would benefit from extra support to continue living independently. Layouts will be accessible without barriers to movement and apartments will contain assistive technology to help residents stay independent and well. The local community will be able to access some facilities, such as the café.

Sinead Mooney, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: “It’s a pleasure to mark the beginning of this fantastic new development, which will enable people to live independently in a home of their own while accessing the care and support they need.

“Meadowcroft Lodge will provide a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment where residents can thrive and remain part of the community. As the first in a series of projects for Surrey, it paves the way for greater choice for residents who might otherwise need to consider residential care.

“A huge thank you to Places for People and all other partners for their work in bringing this project to life. I’m looking forward to seeing it take shape so we can start to welcome residents in the near future.”

Natalie Bramhall, the county council’s Cabinet Member for Property, Waste and Infrastructure, said: “It’s great to start work on Meadowcroft Lodge, the first of our extra care housing developments. Using our sites to create specialist housing across Surrey allows residents to live independently, whether they are ageing or have additional needs. We want to ensure residents will be able to live in their communities, in homes that will meet their current and future needs. Thanks to our Land & Property Capital Projects teams, Places for People, Bmor, and all partners involved in the project.”

Rachel Crownshaw, Group Managing Director for Communities at Places for People, said: “We are thrilled to be involved in this project which will be a huge asset to Surrey. Tackling the housing crisis means delivering the right homes for everyone so we all have a place to call our own.

"As part of that, it’s vital that our older generations are supported and empowered to live independently, affordably and happily for as long as possible and that is exactly what we are providing through Meadowcroft Lodge alongside all partners.”

Shahi Islam, Director, Affordable Housing Grants at Homes England, said: “As the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, increasing the supply of quality affordable homes and the diversity of tenure remains one of our key objectives and we are committed to supporting Places for People to achieve their ambitions.

“It’s great to see how far the development of Meadowcroft Lodge has progressed, the groundbreaking ceremony being a key milestone. This project is an excellent example of how we are working with partners through the Affordable Homes Programme to build the homes people need and creating new thriving communities.”

Andy Cox, from Bmor, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Surrey County Council, Places for People and the excellent wider team to deliver the first of our extra care schemes. Meadowcroft Lodge will have a highly positive impact on the local community, enabling independent living while ensuring the necessary support is provided. It was a pleasure to come together for the groundbreaking ceremony and we look forward to celebrating more key milestones as the development progresses.”

Cllr Julia McShane, Leader of Guildford Borough Council and Lead Councillor for Housing said: “Everyone deserves to have somewhere safe to call home. Extra care housing is very much needed in our community. It will provide a little extra help to those who want the opportunity to live independently longer”.

The need for purpose-built homes for older people in Surrey will become more acute as our population ages. Twenty-two per cent of Surrey residents are forecast to be over 65 by 2030. The number of over-65s will increase by more than ten per cent in that time, and while it’s good news that we’re living longer, we’re not all doing so in good health.

Extra care housing is part of the county council’s Right Homes, Right Support Strategy to create specialist accommodation in local communities which can help people achieve greater independence. Other strands include providing more supported independent living accommodation for people with learning disabilities and autistic people and improving short breaks facilities to give carers a break from their caring roles.

As well as developing sites on the county council’s own land – such as the sites earmarked for extra care housing – the strategy aims to work with care providers to further boost the specialist housing available to residents.

As the building work progresses, social care teams will begin having conversations with people supported by the county council to explore whether an apartment at Meadowcroft Lodge could be an option for them in the future.

To find out more about the council’s plans for extra care housing in Surrey, visit the extra care housing pages on its website.