Abergavenny care community plan could create 250 jobs (From Free Press Series)

Abergavenny care community plan could create 250 jobs

1:50pm Tuesday 11th September 2012 in News

AROUND 250 jobs could be created in Abergavenny under a proposal to build a senior care community.

Last year local businessman Ben Jones unveiled a proposal to turn his 40-acre working farm at Llanfoist, which includes a Grade II-listed manor house, a lake and numerous outbuildings and cottages, into an integrated residential care village for the over-55s.

It would provide assisted living accommodation for 200 people, composed of 100 affordable and 100 private apartments, semidetached and detached homes, and a centre for dementia care.

The scheme includes a lakeside restaurant, well-being centre, swimming-pool, art studio and library.

The design, by Abergavennybased architect Williamson Associates Limited, is short-listed as the best proposed senior care settlement in the UK by the Over 50s Housing Weekly Annual Awards.

If the privately funded scheme is approved by Monmouthshire council, it would create 100 fulltime jobs for medical and administrative staff and support workers and the equivalent of 150 fulltime salaries available for parttime workers such as nurses, carers, cleaners, caterers and physiotherapists.

Around 40 of the jobs would be for maintenance, pool, gym and management staff.

“This is the type of jobs this area needs, with long-term prospects,” he said.

“It’s a win-win situation, creating jobs and providing a muchneeded resource for local people.

“These jobs are much needed.

“It’s undisputed that the care of older people will become an increasingly large task for society, and nowhere more so than in north Monmouthshire, where the closure of homes has accelerated recently.”

The scheme is an alternative site in the council’s Local Development Plan.

If approved, work to build the village could begin in 2014, providing jobs for local contractors.