Springfields Independent Living, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Our housing specialists have created 65 one and two bed homes alongside communal areas such as a hairdressers and bistro for emh care & support to create an inclusive environment that brings together people of all ages as there is no age restriction on the facility. 50 of the apartments were available to rent, while 15 were put up for sale.

Designed by architects BRP, the homes were completed in 2021, adjacent to a new school that Willmott Dixon also built.

The self-contained apartments have taken inspiration from nature and history to promote health and wellbeing. Each home is light and spacious with a number of options available to suit each individual’s lifestyle. The spaces have also been designed to allow wheelchairs and mobility aids to be used.

The project was procured through the Procurement Hub framework with a large focus on creating a positive impact for local people. This has seen 10% of the contract value - just over £1.2m monetary equivalent - invested into local social return projects concentrating on NEETS (Not in Education Employment or Training). We collaborated with a local secondary school to deliver an enrichment programme, as well as running an eight-week traineeship where people aged 16 to 18 learnt employability skills, gained a CSCS card and on-site work experience.

Similarly, we also delivered health and safety assemblies to local primary schools that were affected by the build.

Michelle Cotterill, director at Willmott Dixon, said:

“We’re delighted that the Springfields Independent Living Scheme is now complete and can help to provide much-needed housing for residents in the local area. It’s been great to see the build progress throughout construction and we’re excited to see new residents enjoy the many benefits of independent living within this new facility.”

Our relationship with emh care & support has gone from strength to strength throughout the project and we’re incredibly pleased that the team chose Willmott Dixon to help enhance the local economy and the lives of local people. Leaving a lasting legacy in the communities in which we work is very important to us and this development is a great example of where our passion for social value and community wellbeing has been matched by our partners.”

Chris Jones, executive director of development at emh, said:

“We are thrilled that our latest extra care development is complete. Together with Willmott Dixon and our other partners, we have created a modern community in the heart of the National Forest, a vibrant place to inspire health and wellbeing. Springfields is unique in that it is an inter-generational scheme, meeting the needs of older residents as well as younger service users who may have physical and/or learning disabilities or sensory needs."

Each year, we deliver £250 million-worth of homes across the UK, working in collaboration with the public sector and private sector partners. One example is our work across Yorkshire to build over 300 homes in Rotherham and Doncaster. We have also delivered an extra care facility in Nottinghamshire to create 44 new-build units and renovate 180 existing flats.

Working safely during Covid-19

Our site team implemented a range of safe working practices to embed the Construction Leadership Council’s Site Operating Procedures to allow work to continue throughout Covid-19. Measures included:

• Creation of one way systems and removal of bottlenecks
• Additional hygiene stations
• Clear signage and canteen rotas to allow for social distancing
• Embracing technology

Furthermore, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the team continued to provide extra support to our customer – printing and delivering over 600 facemasks for care home staff.

Read more, in David Rowell, senior building and construction manager at Springfield’s blog.

Purpose beyond profit

In addition to supporting the customer during Covid-19, in partnership with emh care & support and JTL training, we also ran a eight-week traineeship programme based on site where young people were able to develop employability skills, gain their CSCS card and get hands-on real-world work experience with our site teams.

We also collaborated with a local secondary school to deliver an Enrichment Programme where pupils learnt about the construction industry.