Plans revealed for extra care hub with community facilities on Chuter Ede site in South Shields

Detailed designs are being developed for a specialist extra care scheme with modern community facilities in South Shields.

The site of the former Chuter Ede School and Community Association is proposed to house a new extra care development of around 120 apartments.

Subject to planning permission being granted, the development would incorporate a café and multi-use spaces for activities which would be open and accessible to the general public.

The update comes following the submission of demolition plans for the Chuter Ede community centre buildings at Galsworthy Road to make way for development.

The community interest organisation which operated the community association at Chuter Ede informed groups of its decision to close on May 5, 2023, due to financial reasons.

South Tyneside Council, which owns the Chuter Ede building, extended the closure date to September to support groups in finding new premises to operate from.

It is understood that of the 23 groups operating from the centre, all have secured new premises or made alternative arrangements – with some groups sourcing their own accommodation.

Despite thousands of people signing a petition calling for the Chuter Ede site to be saved, demolition has been approved with work due to start later this year.

Following demolition, the planned extra care scheme will be developed and managed by Karbon Homes as part of a partnership to bring forward accommodation for adults with care needs across South Tyneside.

Architects are now preparing designs for the scheme, which would consist of a mix of one and two-bed apartments.

It is anticipated that 20 of the apartments would be specifically for people living with dementia.

The development would be for anyone over the age of 18 with a care and support need and would have a 24/7 on-site care team, alongside the housing support team.

Council chiefs say the plans would support the local authority’s ambition to build strong communities and to help people stay well and healthy throughout their lives.

Councillor Joanne Bell, cabinet member for governance, finance and corporate services at South Tyneside Council welcomed plans for the Chuter Ede site.

Cllr Bell said:“We’ve been clear that the council’s long-term plans for the site have been for housing, and it provides a fantastic opportunity to develop extra care accommodation for adults with care needs.

“We also recognise the need for modern facilities for local people to use, and it is fantastic that these can be integrated into the development.

“It’s a really exciting concept for the site; integrating specialist housing into the wider community and supporting people to live independently.

“I’m glad that the council has managed to support those groups who previously occupied the community association, following the community interest organisation’s decision to close earlier in the year.

“We now turn our attention to clearing the site for development over the coming months.”

Chuter Ede Community Association will close on September 3, 2023, and planning permission has been granted for the demolition of the building, which council bosses say is no longer fit for purpose.

The Chuter Ede project forms part of the council’s wider Adult Social Care Accommodation Strategy aimed at supporting people who may need extra help to live independently in the community.

This is in response to feedback from residents who said they would prefer to live well independently, rather than go into residential care.

Zoey Hawthorne, assistant director of development delivery at Karbon Homes, said: “We’re proud to be working with South Tyneside Council to deliver much-needed, specialist, affordable accommodation options for the borough and are working closely with them to design three extra care schemes that meet the wants and needs of local people.

“Our vision for the new schemes is to create strong and sustainable places that help empower people with additional care and support needs to live life to the full.

“We’re also committed to ensuring community is at the heart of all three schemes, incorporating social spaces into the design, as well as a bistro café and multi-use spaces for activities, all of which will be open to the general public to help bring the community together.”

A planning application for the new extra care scheme on the Chuter Ede site is expected to be submitted early next year.

If approved, work would start in late-2024 and would take around two years to complete.

The remainder of the site is understood to be earmarked for private housing development.

The council also intends to retain and improve the quality of the existing playing pitches on the wider site, outside of the extra care development footprint.

Cllr Bell added: “Chuter Ede would be the first site of its kind in South Tyneside to bring together extra care housing, community facilities and playing pitches provision all in one place.”

As part of the council’s partnership with Karbon Homes, plans for an extra care scheme at Hebburn have already been submitted and are expected to be considered in the coming weeks.