Residents and community groups will find out next week about plans to include Market Drayton in a £137 million scheme to build care homes across Shropshire.
A former builders’ yard in Cheshire Street, next to the Raven House social services building, is among the sites chosen by Shropshire Council to build some 30 of the 400 one and two-bedroom homes planned for elderly people needing occasional care.
The project is being led by the council’s director of resources Laura Rowley who will chair a meeting at the Festival Drayton Centre on June 4 between 4pm and 7pm where details of the plans will be discussed.
Funding for the Extra Care homes project, aimed at elderly residents unable to live in normal housing but not requiring residential care, has come through the Government’s Private Finance Initiative.
This allows private firms, including construction companies, to design, build and manage capital projects in partnership with local authorities.
Shropshire councillor for Chresard and elderly persons champion Councillor Andrew Davies said: “The provision is primarily for people living in their own homes, rather than in residential care.
“The concept is that it retains the dignity of independence in a greater way for people who perhaps aren’t able to manage in their own homes.
“It has the benefit of being less expensive than residential care, people will have their own letterboxes and the idea is to build 400 homes in eight or nine sites throughout Shropshire.
“Market Drayton will be one of the smaller sites with about 30 homes and I’m very excited because it’s an opportunity to bring money into Shropshire for elderly people.”
Eric Davis, of Market Drayton Senior Citizens Forum, said: “We welcome Shropshire Council’s success in bidding for funding under the PFOSI to enable the building of Extra Care Homes and communal facilities for the benefit of older people in Shropshire.
“The county has an above-average percentage of older people living here, so this success is to be applauded at a time when we can expect severe funding constraints to be placed on local councils by the Government.”
Peter Fowle from Market Drayton Patient Group said: “This is very positive news indeed and I’m sure Shropshire Council will want to ensure that enough of the properties are affordable to those on limited incomes.
“Each development should also form part of a clear strategy within the overall plans for the surrounding area.”
By Winston Brown
