In December 2005 we were delighted to hear that we had been selected as the preferred developer, along with Barratt Homes, for a prime site in Solihull, the West Midlands. The green field site is in a pleasant residential area, close to amenities and easily accessible from the town centre. The West Midlands is an ideal area for a Royal Star & Garter Home, as it boasts a large ex-Service population. The Charity’s research also identified a gap in provision for the elderly in the area.
Full planning permission was granted in June 2006 and building work began at the end of 2006.
“Contractors Bluestone Plc (now renamed Morgan Ashurst) were appointed in February and were selected as the result of a very thorough tender process where they were in competition with a number of other major contract companies,” explains Alan Sturgeon, Project Director at The Royal Star & Garter Homes. “We were very impressed with the thorough and professional approach to Bluestone’s presentation which clearly demonstrated that they understood the site and the build project. It was also their enthusiasm for the project that resulted in the unanimous decision by the tender panel to select the company.”
Vice President of the Charity Simon Weston OBE performed the 'turning the sod' ceremony marking the exciting start of building works in February 2007, and he came back at the end of September 2007 for the 'topping out' ceremony which is traditionally held when the highest point of a new building has been constructed. The scaffolding has now been removed from the exterior of the building and internal works are progressing well.
Working closely with Scurr & Partners architects we have, of course, had the layout of the Home established for some time but now we are at the more detailed stage of looking specifically at the fixtures and finishes. These details are very important as they will ensure the high quality surroundings that are synonymous with a Royal Star & Garter Home and you can view them in this pdf document. Construction will be completed by the summer of 2008 when we hope to open the Home to its first residents.
You can view elevations for the Solihull building by clicking on the link below.
If you would like to know more about the Charity's new homes, please contact us by email: newhomes@starandgarter.org