Carwyn Jones, AM, First Minister for Wales was the guest of honour at the official opening of Nant y Mor, Prestatyn’s new extra care housing scheme.
The £9.9m scheme was developed by Wales & West Housing Association in partnership with Denbighshire County Council and was officially opened by the First Minister last Thursday (November 10th).
Formalities started on site at 11.15am after which Mr Jones AM enjoyed a tour of the state-of-the-art complex and the chance to chat with residents before unveiling a commemorative plaque.
The development on Marine Road has 59 self-contained apartments as well as a wide range of communal facilities, offering independent living with care and support for people aged 60 and over in Denbighshire.
The First Minister said: “I am delighted to have been invited to mark the official opening of this fantastic new housing development. I am sure this scheme will be a great success not only for the residents but also the community.
“We have a growing elderly population in Wales and the housing requirements of older people vary considerably. A key aim of the Welsh Government is that schemes such as this allow people to live as independently for as long as possible.
“I am sure you will agree that Nant Y Mor will meet this objective and residents will have the comfort of knowing that support is on hand should they need it.
“I am pleased that the Welsh Government has been able to support this scheme by contributing grant funding of £5.7 million from the Social Housing Grant Programme.”
Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive of WWHA, said: “We are delighted that the First Minister opened this scheme for us.
“We are extremely proud of Nant y Mor and what it offers older people in this community.
“It is the result of great partnership working between ourselves and Denbighshire County Council and you just have to talk to the residents to see how happy they are with their new home and all the facilities, care and support, it provides for them at a very important stage in their lives.”
Councillor Pauline Dobb, Cabinet Lead Member for Social Care, Health and Well-being, Denbighshire County Council, said: “Extra care housing is very much the way forward in Denbighshire. We have one of the highest populations of older people in Wales and the trend is that people are living longer. This in turn means that we need to adapt our services to meet a growing demand. That is a key priority for us in Denbighshire.
“The extra care scheme at Nant y Môr has been created to meet a demand from people wishing to live independent lives in their own home, whilst safe in the knowledge that help is at hand 24 hours a day.
“This is a prime example of how working in partnership with our partners can realise our ambition of creating extra care schemes in our county.”
The First Minister’s tour of the complex, which boasts 27 one-bed and 32 two-bed self-contained apartments, will include a visit to the apartment of one of Nant y Mor’s first residents, Pam Barrow.
Pam Barrow, 79, said: “Before moving to Nant y Mor I lived alone in a bungalow. Now I can join in various things going on here when I want, still being able to come back to my apartment, close my own door and do what I want to do when I want to do it.”
Ms Barrow added: “I love my apartment. It has the most wonderful view of Snowdonia on a clear day and it is lovely for me to be able to look out onto my country like this. I have a lung complaint and it is wonderful for me to be able to enjoy the fresh air and views from my windows and my balcony of the mountains as well as the gardens at Nant y Mor.”
Built by contractor The Linford Group, with a total grant subsidy of £5.7m, additional facilities at the development include:
• Large communal lounge with direct access to communal courtyard garden
• Restaurant and dining facilities
• Hobby rooms, hairdressers and treatment rooms
• Lower ground floor garden room and garden terrace
• Second and third floor roof terraces
• External amenity areas providing seating, raised beds and planting areas.
Other guests at the ceremony included members and officers from Denbighshire County Council, staff from on-site care provider Allied Healthcare, as well as representatives from other key partner agencies and neighbouring businesses and organisations.
Celebrations continued into the afternoon for the residents who enjoyed a magic show by Skorpion Magic and a celebratory cake.
