Work starts on £20 million Hereford apartment development

Patform Housing Group are bringing the new scheme to the city which, along with 80 modern apartments will include a community hall, hair salon, bistro and shops for the whole area to use.

The group’s chief executive Elizabeth Froude was one of the many dignitaries who attended the groundbreaking ceremony in Holmer.

“This will be a beautiful development, providing first-class supported living for the residents with services that the wider local community can benefit from. I really look forward to seeing the finished properties, working with Vistry Partnerships, our development partners for this scheme," she said.

Also attending the ceremony were staff and two residents of Platform’s other scheme in the city, The Rose Garden, David Pole and Gill Smith, who were shown around the site and shared their experiences as residents.

The scheme combines practical technology state-of-the-art thinking including internal communications systems that will allow video calling and even the ability to pay for services. It also included many dementia-friendly elements including different coloured floors and two-tone light switches.

The work is being done by Vistry Partnerships who expect to complete the building by the middle of 2024.

Darren Beale, managing director, said: “This is a great development opportunity for us at Holmer Road in Hereford. We want to build long term business relationships with our partners, so we are very pleased to have joined forces with Platform Housing again to bring forward this high-quality project which will see a 80 new over 55’s apartments being built over the next two years.”

Picture: Platform Housing

Colette Cutter, housing development officer at Herefordshire Council said: “The Strategic Housing team at Herefordshire Council are delighted to be involved in the creation of a new Extra Care scheme at Holmer, working alongside Platform Housing as one of our preferred partners. This is an exciting project which will provide much-needed homes and employment.”

As part of the ground break ceremony today, Platform announced that they’d like the community to be involved in many aspects of the project.

Rebecca Probert, head of specialist housing, said: “This project isn’t just about delivering a finished build. There are so many opportunities from this point for us to involve the community. Soon we will ask local school children to help name the new building using things from around the area to inspire them. We'll also be offering educational talks on building site safety along with opportunities to integrate the new residents into the area.”