First tenants move into £10m extra care scheme in Wrexham

The first tenants of million pound extra care housing scheme for older people in Wrexham have moved in.

Maes y Dderwen, located on Grosvenor Road, is specifically designed for local people aged 60 or over who wish to live independently in a home of their own with the peace of mind of 24-hour access to care support.

Mrs June Harry, 78, was among the first to move into the £10 million scheme when it opened last week and was welcomed by representatives from both Wrexham County Borough Council and the Pennaf Housing Group.

“I feel settled and at home here already,” said Mrs Harry.

“I’m a Rhosddu girl originally and I think this is a wonderful place. I’m really looking forward to getting to know other people here, being able to socialise and make new friends.

“One of the real advantages is that you have all your own independence and privacy, living in your own home, so you can choose to be as private or as sociable as you like. I think there should be more places like this.”

A phased move-in period has been arranged to minimise disruption for new tenants, who each have their own self-contained apartment as well as access to a wide range of communal facilities and, for those tenants who require it, access to 24-hour support.

The scheme is owned by Clwyd Alyn Housing Association, part of the Pennaf Housing Group, and managed in partnership with Wrexham Council.

Paul Robinson, from the Pennaf Housing Group said: “It is an absolute privilege to welcome tenants to this important scheme which provides an excellent housing option for older people who wish to remain independent, while having the peace of mind that extra care offers,”

Housing and Regeneration Minister Rebecca Evans said: “We provided more than £6m of funding for this project, which is breathing life into a fantastic old building, and at the same time providing valued social housing for older people in Wrexham.

“I hope that the new Maes y Dderwen residents will be very happy in their new homes.”

As well as 60 high-quality apartments, the £10.5m development also has a wide range of communal facilities at the scheme, including a restaurant, resident’s lounge, hobbies room and mobility buggy store.

Councillor Joan Lowe, Lead Member for Adult Social Care for Wrexham County Borough Council said: “This exciting new extra care scheme is an integral part of the innovative range of housing options for older people that we are helping to provide across the County.

“Maes y Dderwen is in a superb central location in Grosvenor Road Wrexham and it is clear that the scheme will provide high quality accommodation for tenants, allowing individuals to maintain their independence, whilst also offering peace of mind that a dedicated care and support team is on hand to support people who have been assessed as requiring additional care and support.”

The scheme is specifically designed for people aged 60 and over with individual care support to meet a wide range of needs.

Maes y Dderwen is a partnership development between Wrexham County Borough, the Welsh Government and Tŷ Glas Housing Society, part of the Pennaf Housing Group and is managed by Clwyd Alyn Housing Association, also part of the Pennaf Group, with individual domiciliary care provided by the Local Authority.

The scheme was made possible thanks to Welsh Government Social Housing Grant (SHG) and Vibrant and Viable Places (VVP) funding secured in partnership with the Local Authority, together with private funding arranged by Pennaf.

The majority of apartments at the scheme have now been allocated however there are still a few available.

Anyone interested in living at the scheme, either for themselves or for a family member can phone on 0800 183 5757 or visit the website www.maesdderwen.co.uk