Visionary firm aims to help tomorrow's pensioners

Sep 27 2007 By John Lowdon

A FORWARD-looking company, Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North-East is looking to the future and plans to build on the region’s success.

Established in 1991 the Sunderland based firm has played a major role in the region’s transformation, delivering ambitious regeneration, retirement and refurbishment initiatives which have touched the lives of thousands of people.

But as the industry changes and the focus for local and national government shifts, FHM North-East is looking ahead, addressing the challenges presented by our ageing population and the provision of affordable housing.

David Mellor managing director with FHM North-East said: “Whilst I agree that helping first time buyers onto the property ladder and providing more affordable housing within the region are priorities, I also feel that the needs of our ageing population are just as important.

“Already a third of households are headed by someone more than 60 years of age and over the next 20 years the number of people aged 85 and more is set to increase at six times the rate of the rest of the population. I feel we have a responsibility to ensure that these people are living comfortably within properties which can cater for their needs.”

The creation of FHM North-East’s Retirement Housing Division has seen the delivery of 42 schemes which have provided elderly people with homes equipped with support systems that allow them to live as independently as possible as their needs change. Through its partnership with Housing 21, FHM North-East has delivered five Extra Care Schemes. These have provided a mix of residential units boasting restaurants, hair salons, shops, meeting rooms and fitness suites open to both residents and members of the local community.

Amongst these is Calendar Court in Gateshead, where FHM North-East worked in partnership with Housing 21 to transform a former tower block into retirement dwellings.

The £3.6 million scheme saw the block gutted and stripped back to its supporting structure and then completely refurbished with the addition of a ground floor extension.

It features 40 flats, two of which have full wheelchair access as well as an array of community facilities which are open to residents and local people. These include a restaurant, shop, hairdressers and lounge. In addition FHM recently completed its biggest Extra Care project to date, Trinity Court in North Ormesby. The company worked in partnership with Tees Valley Housing Group to deliver a £5 million scheme comprising 42 self-contained extra care apartments – four of which have been designed for full wheelchair access.

The latest addition to its retirement portfolio will see the award-winning firm work with Tees Valley Housing Group to deliver a £4.5 million retirement project at Eston. This will see the introduction of a 40 bed extra care scheme with communal facilities which is due for completion in summer 2008.

FHM is in the process of finalising a range of delivery solutions for older person housing. It is confident these housing solutions will meet the needs of local authorities and social housing providers in enabling them to care for its older residents in new accommodation that meets their needs now and into the future.