Mansfield District Council's Town View development of 54 homes has been shortlisted for a major award.
The £9.1m complex, developed in partnership with Nottinghamshire County Council, has been chosen as a finalist in the Best Older Person’s Development category for developments of more than 50 homes, in the Inside Housing Development Awards 2019. The winners will be announced on 27 November.
The awards are an opportunity to celebrate the very best residential developments across the UK from the past year.
Cllr Marion Bradshaw, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: "This is a prestigious award so we have our fingers crossed for success. It would be a very fitting conclusion to this ambitious council housing project.
"Mansfield is also one of the few local authorities in the UK to make the finals of these awards which demonstrates just how well this authority is doing in terms of building high quality social housing.
"Town View is a fantastic development which has totally transformed what was a long-term derelict site into decent, thoughtfully designed homes that meet the various needs or our ageing population."
The senior person’s living scheme has 42 rented apartments and 12 bungalows for over-55s, six of which are in shared ownership. They are aimed at older people who are active as well as those who may need additional support and care.
The secure gated development was supported by £126,000 from Homes England, the government’s housing agency, and £400,000 from the county council to provide "housing with care" apartments, allocated through its Adult Social Care service. These aim to enable older people, needing additional support, to live independently for longer.
Cllr Tony Harper, Chair of the County Council’s Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee, said: “This is a fantastic scheme that is designed to a very high standard to meet the needs of older people, such as accessible shower facilities and wheelchair access.
"The beauty of housing with care is that people don’t need to move out when their needs become greater – the on-site care team can provide support.”
The homes opened in February this year and have been well received by the residents who have praised them as being spacious, quiet and well designed.
The homes are positioned around a landscaped "village green" setting, with a trim trail and outdoor fitness equipment. Inside, there is a reading room, craft room, a first-floor sun terrace, lounge and dining room.
They are built on the site of the old Mansfield General Hospital, a site that was derelict for about 20 years before the council bought it for redevelopment. Work on the scheme began in August 2016.