Denne completes Abbotswood

Denne are celebrating the completion of our latest extra care housing project on behalf of Saxon Weald, the third in recent months.

The housing association, which owns and manages more than 5,700 properties, has been working in partnership with Denne to deliver its extra care facilities in Sussex. The completion of the Abbotswood affordable housing scheme in Rustington brings the partnership’s joint tally to 204 high-quality units for older people.

This latest scheme has been designed to provide residents with maximum independence and privacy, while enabling them to receive additional care, whenever required.

Comprising a total of 62 new retirement apartments on a mix of tenures, it provides 56 extra care properties and six flats for people with learning difficulties in a dedicated wing with its own secure access. In addition to extra care design features such as fully accessible kitchens and bathrooms, Abbotswood also has a pampering suite, meeting room facilities, a restaurant and smart technology systems. The wheelchair accessible landscaped gardens offer raised planters, a potting shed and greenhouse to encourage residents to remain active outside.

The interior design is more like a hotel than traditional care home. It has underfloor heating throughout and colour coded interior décor to assist in easy route finding for residents.

“Our approach on-site has already received recognition by bodies such as Construction Safety South East for our health and safety procedures,” says Graham Brown, Managing Director of Denne.

“Part of the key to delivering projects such as these is not only the partnership with our client, but also with building control, as strategies that apply to regular housing development aren’t always applicable to extra care projects.”

“We’ve worked closely with all of the local authority teams to devise the best solution for residents, right down to details such as door handles which are suitable for residents with arthritis.”

Working with Saxon Weald, Denne has also recently handed over a 62 unit scheme at Pembury Road in Eastbourne and 18 homes at Margaret House in Uckfield.