Plans approved for ‘extra care' hub in Hebburn providing specialist accommodation for those with care needs

South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee has approved an application for a parcel of land south of Glen Street and near Hebburn Central.

The plans were previously submitted by Karbon Homes, a housing provider which has been working in partnership with the council to create new adult social care accommodation across the borough.

This forms part of a wider plan to address the lack of specialist accommodation options and to help people with differing care and support needs to live well and independently.

The £26 million extra care scheme in Hebburn will see 95 apartments developed with a mix of 75 one-bed apartments and 20 two-bed apartments.

According to planning documents, 17 of the ground floor apartments would be dedicated to residents living with dementia.

The development, named ‘Hebburn Gardens’, has been designed to have a strong community focus with a bistro café, which would be open to the general public, and multi-use spaces for activities.

A design and access statement notes the hub would also have a wellbeing suite featuring a salon, GP room and treatment room, as well as high-quality staff facilities to “ensure staff wellbeing and encourage staff retention”.

The plans were officially approved by South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee at a meeting on September 25, 2023.

Zoey Hawthorne, assistant director of development delivery at Karbon Homes, has welcomed the planning decision.

She said: “We’re pleased to hear the news that our Hebburn Gardens extra care development has been given the planning go-ahead, providing modern, high-quality homes that will help meet the demand for specialist housing in the South Tyneside area.

“This is the start of an exciting partnership with South Tyneside Council, to help ensure local residents have access to affordable housing that provides them with the levels of care and support they need to continue living independently.”

The project, one of three extra care schemes planned in the borough, is expected to be part-funded by Homes England through Karbon Homes’ strategic partnership with the Government’s housing delivery agency.

The specialist schemes aim to remodel the expectation of extra care, which is typically aimed at older adults, by offering housing and care to residents of varying ages over 18 with additional support needs.

Following the Hebburn scheme, there is the potential for the development of two more extra care schemes, delivered as a partnership project between Karbon Homes and South Tyneside Council.

The three schemes combined could deliver up to 300 new homes, helping to address the lack of specialist affordable accommodation options in the borough.

Extra care projects also form part of the council’s wider adult social care accommodation strategy, aimed at supporting people who may need care and support to live independently in the community.

Councillor Tracey Dixon, leader of South Tyneside Council, said: “This is excellent news and means we can now start putting these exciting plans into action.

“One of our key ambitions is for people to stay healthy and well throughout their lives.

“Residents have told us that they would prefer to live independently in the community for as long as possible, rather than going into residential care, and it is this kind of affordable, specialist accommodation that will enable people to do that.

“This scheme will allow not just older people, but younger adults with care needs to live in their local community with support.”

For more information on the Hebburn extra care planning application and council decision, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: ST/0338/23/FUL