New Housing and Care Facility Nears Completion

A new housing and care building on the corner of Northumberland Avenue and Hexham Road in Whitley is just months from completion.

The four-storey scheme will include a ground-floor day opportunities centre for adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities and 42 one-bedroom flats: 36 sheltered one-bed units for people aged 55 and over, plus six general needs one-bed flats above.

Reading Borough Council is delivering the project after councillors closed The Willows, a 'reablement' facility that left the site in January 2019 and whose services moved to Charles Clore Court in 2020. Plans for flats and a care facility emerged in 2023 and were approved by the council's planning committee in April last year. Contractors Morgan Sindall were selected a month earlier and the framework was completed in November.

Site photos show the exterior is nearly finished, with scaffolding still up. A sizeable tree has been retained at the junction and a construction crane remains on site.

At the time of the structure being completed last November, Paul Gittings (Labour, Coley) lead councillor for adult social care said: "This is going to be a great facility for Reading residents.

"In the Adult Social Care service, we aim to support the life that matters to our residents, so that means providing good quality facilities.

"This means purpose-built day care facilities with specialist equipment to match the quality of care from our staff.

"Visitors' time will be filled with activities in supportive and attractive surroundings. I am sure the garden will be well used, providing a sanctuary and a beautiful outlook.

"This will be a fantastic facility for people who need to use our services, as well as for their families, who will know they are getting excellent care."

Matt Yeo (Labour, Caversham) lead councillor for housing added: "We need one-bedroom homes for people looking to downsize from bigger family homes, which can then be used for other families on our waiting list, or whose circumstances have changed.

"Affordable properties which have the security of having access to assistance are important for residents as well as the ability to be their own community.

"This will be a great asset to the town, helping those who live alone with affordable properties."

The project is due to be completed in August this year.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter