ALCESTER is set to see extra care housing being built on the former St Nicholas School annexe site, after Warwickshire County Council approved a contract to build approximately 370 extra care housing units throughout the county.

The cabinet approved the award of a contract with provider Housing 21, to build the units on six sites in Warwickshire, including the Alcester site.

The accommodation being proposed would be for elderly people, with individual self-contained apartments with their own front door, which would be purpose built to give residents greater independence.

Approximately 50 per cent of the units will be social rented units specifically for the use of county council customers, while the remainder will be sold either outright or as part of a shared ownership.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe, portfolio holder for adult social care at Warwickshire County Council, said: “There are tremendous benefits for everyone in moving to extra care housing. Older people will stay living independently for longer whilst still having a network of support from the 24 hour care.

“We are committed to providing the highest level of care for older people and are more than satisfied that the outstanding levels of savings that the scheme achieves are a consequence of a very well researched and efficient strategy rather than compromising our standards in any way.”

The hope is that care costs would be reduced from a typical £360-£520 per week in residential care, to approximately £210 for someone living in extra care housing.

Other sites have been named in Atherstone, Bedworth, Rugby, and Bishopton, with two being planned in Bedworth.

Building work is expected to start on the first of the sites in late Spring of 2012, with completion of the first schemes anticipated by the end of 2013.