With an aging population, the UK is currently facing a number of issues around the provision of suitable accommodation and care for older people. Lifestyles have changed significantly over the last half century, and as people age, they often want to continue living as independently as possible for as long as they can.

This is an issue that Anwyl Construction is well placed to help address, as we have a great deal of experience in the field of constructing extra-care villages. This involves building projects that include self-contained living accommodation – typically one- and two-bedroom apartments – within a complex that also houses a range of other facilities such as restaurants, hair stylists, gyms and games rooms. There may also be medical and care facilities on-site.

Taking care of extra-care

Having worked on extra-care construction projects with a number of clients across North Wales and the north west of England, we have built up considerable knowledge of the specific requirements of this type of building.

We value being brought on board as early as possible in the process, as our teams can offer insights and advice to help make sure the project creates the kind of safe and comfortable environment that residents’ value. For example, our in-house design team understands the ways in which layout, materials and colour can be used to engender a real community feel, offering both independence and options for socialising as required.

Committed to the community

Our extra-care housing clients also appreciate the way in which we operate as a business. We are a family firm committed to building real relationships with our clients, and have a proven track record of establishing strong local supply chains that feed back into the communities in which we work.

Our responsible, sustainable approach to construction applies right across our company, but it is of particular importance when it comes to our extra-care projects. After all, there are few better illustrations of the value of community than a high-quality extra-care housing development in which residents can choose to enjoy living independently while also knowing they have neighbours close by and many social opportunities to enjoy when they choose.

Making a difference

With so much experience in the extra-care housing sector, we can point to several examples that demonstrate how we have brought our expertise to bear on a project.

For instance, the Llys Jasmine development in Mold is an attractive four-storey building with 46 extra-care apartments and 15 apartments designed for those suffering with dementia. All apartments are self-contained, but the development also includes a catering kitchen, a restaurant, a hair dresser and a number of communal lounges and other meeting rooms.

Llys Jasmine has proved to be a tremendous success, winning a number of regional and national awards. It is also an excellent example of sustainable construction, being designed with “zero carbon” energy saving in mind. The design also harvests 100% of the roof rainfall, and all the waste created during construction was diverted away from landfill.

The Llys Glan Yr Afon is another extra care housing project that has been welcomed by its local community, this time in Newtown in Powys. As we had not previously worked in the area, it was particularly important to establish community links, and following a Meet the Buyer event we were able to appoint a number of local companies to the project.

The particular challenge we faced at Llys Glan Yr Afon was that the site ground was heavily contaminated following many years of industrial use. Hydro-carbons and asbestos fibres were all present, and it was essential to decontaminate the site before we could even begin construction. However, we are very experienced in dealing with such issues. We worked with a specialist ground remediation contractor to remove problem materials, then implemented a number of measures designed to ensure the site was suitable for the building we were planning to construct.

The extra-care experts

With many other successful extra care housing schemes also completed, we certainly have the knowledge and experience not only to build such developments, but also to add value by advising during the planning and design phases too. We are proud to have worked with a number of clients in this area, and the fact that they continue returning to us is a mark of the high regard in which our expertise is held.