Aberaman Extra Care development reaches latest landmark
The construction of a new Extra Care scheme in Aberaman will soon reach an exciting milestone – as January will see the delivery and installation of pre-constructed modules to shape the development.
The Council is working with Linc Cymru to build 40 state-of-the-art apartments for older people on the old Maesyffynnon Residential Care Home site. Extra Care helps older people live as active and independent lives as possible, living in their own homes and receiving targeted support for assessed needs.
In September 2017, Cabinet agreed a £50m investment to deliver modern accommodation options to meet the needs and changing expectations of the growing older population. Five Extra Care developments are being progressed to meet the need for 300 identified spaces in Rhondda Cynon Taf. The County Borough has one current Extra Care facility – Ty Heulog in Talbot Green.
The Aberaman scheme is the first of the five new projects, and its construction phase started in summer 2018. The development will use Modern Methods of Construction, working in collaboration with F1 Modular Ltd, based in Powys.
The company will construct elements of the development in its own factory, up to the final fit-out stage. They will then be delivered to the site off Club Street from the week commencing January 7, and they will be installed soon after, over a two-week period. However, these timescales are weather-dependent.
While the delivery of the steel frames and 40 modules are likely to cause some disruption to traffic flow around Club Street during January, there are no scheduled road closures in the local area.
Councillor Geraint Hopkins, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult and Children’s Community Services, said: “I am very pleased the Aberaman Extra Care development has made progress, and that the delivery of modules to the work site is expected shortly. Therefore, residents will soon see the area begin to transform in January.
“Cabinet last year agreed to the Council’s £50m Extra Care strategy which will see 300 new places created, to meet the changing demands of a growing older population. Our ambitious programme will see the Aberaman scheme followed by further developments in Pontypridd, Mountain Ash, Treorchy and Porth – alongside the one existing scheme in Talbot Green, Ty Heulog.
“In the New Year, the Council will consult upon proposals to modernise its residential and day care provision, through maximising the opportunities offered by our commitment to invest in Extra Care, to meet changing demands for current and future residents of the County Borough. I’d urge residents to have their say when the opportunity arises, to help shape the future delivery of our residential and day care services for older people.
“I’d like to thank residents and road users in Aberaman for their cooperation during the upcoming stage of the Extra Care scheme, which will see a number of deliveries to the work site off Club Street, starting next month.”
Louise Attwood, Executive Director of Property at Linc Cymru, added: “We’re thrilled to be working alongside Rhondda Cynon Taf Council to develop an Extra Care scheme that meets the needs of local people. Extra Care provides the opportunity for people to live as active and as independent lives as possible, living in their own homes with support tailored to their individual needs.
“Using modular build, we are able to develop high-quality homes at a quicker rate than using traditional building methods. We’re excited to see the first of the modules go up in January and for local residents to see this new scheme start to take shape.”
