VVHC will transform Irlam House into a new hub for the care of local elderly people in partnership with registered housing provider One Vision Housing and contractor Carroll Build
Healthcare developer VVHC has secured planning permission from Sefton Council for the £15m refurbishment of a 16-storey tower block in Church Walk, Bootle.
The scheme, to be delivered in partnership with registered housing provider One Vision Housing, part of the Sovini Group, and contractor Carroll Build, will see the empty Irlam House transformed into a new hub for the care of local elderly people.
The building will be re-clad and fitted with new community facilities on two additional penthouse floors, including a communal lounge and top floor restaurant.Residents will also benefit from viewing decks, a gym and yoga room, cinema room, craft rooms and beauty therapy rooms.
Neighbouring residents will encouraged to use the facilities, which the developer says he hopes will become a community hub.
VVHC chief executive Roy Kenny said: “This is great news for local people as they can look forward to the very best standards of care and will no longer need to leave the neighbourhood in which they grew up to access it.”
All local qualifying residents, irrespective of their landlord, will be offered the option to be transferred to the 90 purpose-designed apartments, with specialised care infrastructure and staff provided by One Vision Housing alongside its nominated care provider.
Work is set to start on site summer 2019 with completion expected in autumn of 2020. The finished scheme will provide 20 end-user jobs, with more than 100 construction jobs using Carroll Build’s local supply chain during the refurbishment phase.
The property, built by George Wimpey in 1964 to a design by borough architect T. Finlay, had originally been ear-marked for demolition. VVHC identified with its partners that it remained structurally sound and developed the funding model that showed Sefton Council that it could meet its care obligations much more cost-effectively than using a standard approach.
Liverpool-based Condy Lofthouse are the scheme’s architects.