Spades in the ground for Jubilee Gardens scheme in Leyland

Work has begun on the extra care scheme in the centre of Leyland.

Jubilee Gardens on West Paddock – adjacent to South Ribble Borough Council’s Civic Centre headquarters – will be home to 75 apartments.

The £20.5million scheme is designed for assisted living for over-55-year-olds.

Extra care aims to allow people to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible.

As well as apartments the Jubilee Gardens, constructed by Caddick Construction, will also have a hair salon and café on site in Leyland and will be available to use by non-residents.

Leader of the borough council councillor Paul Foster said: “I’m so pleased that work on the Jubilee Gardens development has begun.

“This Extra Care scheme is the first of this kind for South Ribble and will provide a much-needed affordable housing solution for our ageing population and it’s so exciting to see the project move closer to delivering these benefits for residents.

“A lot of consultation with local residents and businesses has taken place over the last 12-18 months and we have taken comments on board, going so far as to reassess the scheme to make sure that we deliver the best value for money and energy sustainability.

“This site will be a place where our aging population can live well and independently in an affordable, energy efficient property, and I cannot wait to see works progress.”

£6m of the funding towards the scheme is coming from Homes England and the development is due to be complete by summer 2025 with applications open for potential residents in summer next year.

Group managing director at Caddick Construction, Paul Dodsworth, said: “We have built a great number of sustainable extra care facilities across the North and we’re pleased to be applying our expertise to South Ribble Council’s new project, Jubilee Gardens.

“As we prepare to start full work on site, we have been engaging with our local supply chain partners who will support our delivery of this project in the coming months. When complete, this fantastic facility will provide older people in the surrounding communities with the capability to retain their independence and quality of life.”