The fourth of five retirement villages has opened its doors in Birmingham as part of what has been described by the city’s housing chief as “a bold and radical” programme offering independent living for the elderly.

Bournville Gardens is part of a £200 million development programme by the ExtraCare Charitable Trust, which will deliver five villages with 1,152 homes in Birmingham by 2017.

The latest £39 million scheme sees ExtraCare working with Birmingham City Council, Bournville Village Trust and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Residents Myfanwy Sinclair and Norma Broadbridge join the Lord Mayor of Birmingham Coun Ray Hassall at the opening of Bournville Gardens
Residents Myfanwy Sinclair and Norma Broadbridge join the Lord Mayor of Birmingham Coun Ray Hassall at the opening of Bournville Gardens

Birmingham City Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhood management and homes, Coun John Cotton, said the council had been delighted with the ExtraCare programme so far, with villages created in Erdington, Newtown and Edgbaston.

He said: “This really is providing a new approach to housing for people who are retired.

“There was a very traditional model we used to have - not just in Birmingham but across the country - in terms of how we met the housing needs of older people.

“What we have really done is to turn that on its head and this is a really bold and radical programme the council embarked upon with ExtraCare which offers a much better quality of life for older people in Birmingham.”

Bournville Gardens offers 212 one and two-bedroom apartments with 98 apartments for shared ownership and 70 for sale. In addition 44 apartments for rent will be managed by Bournville Village Trust.

A third of Bournville Gardens’ residents will receive help with care, including dementia and the development includes 18 communal facilities which are open to residents and their families as well as local older people.

They include a shop, library and IT suite, café bar and lounge, hairdressing and beauty salon, fitness suite, cash machine and gardens.

The gym at Bournville Gardens
The gym at Bournville Gardens

ExtraCare says its villages offer “an integrated, holistic approach to housing, care and support” and offer a variety of social opportunities, as well as promoting “a healthier, active and more independent lifestyle”.

Councillor Cotton (Lab, Shard End) said: “There is no doubt these villages enhance people’s quality of life, helping them to remain active.

“They also benefit the broader community around the centres, providing employment as well as a hub for other activities which non residents can come in and enjoy.

“The people who live there are not isolated and share in what goes on there.”

Looking at the bigger picture Coun Cotton said there were also benefits for the NHS, pointing to research by Aston University which showed ExtraCare residents were less reliant on NHS services.

In a three-year study between 2012 and 2015, findings included the fact NHS costs for ExtraCare residents were cut by 38 per cent and residents experienced a reduction in the duration of unplanned hospital stays from 8-14 days to 1-2 days.

Furthermore, the cost of providing higher-level social care was £4,556 less (26 per cent less) per person per year than providing the same level of care in the local community.

Coun Cotton added: “These villages are not just better for the individuals who live in them but taxpayers too.

“Also it means other forms of housing - whether council homes or private homes - are released back into the community.

“People are moving into somewhere more appropriate for that time of life - which frees up accommodation for families and others.

“Other parts of the country have taken a close interest in what we have done. I think it is seen as a role model of good practice and a different approach to how we meet the needs of older people.”

Inside Bournville Gardens
Inside Bournville Gardens

Mark Curran, acting chief executive, ExtraCare Charitable Trust, added: “The village represents a celebration of independence and opportunity and offers people a shared sense of community.”

Peter Roach, chief executive of Bournville Village Trust, said Bournville Gardens continued the legacy of George Cadbury.

He said: “George Cadbury didn’t just build the homes in Bournville for the workers of his factory as many believe - he wanted everyone to have the opportunity to live in high-quality housing with the benefits of open space and community facilities.

“Bournville Gardens, which we are very proud to be a part of, continues this legacy by offering homes for a range of different tenures, including affordable rent, and fantastic facilities to help people to keep active and healthy.

“This is the first phase of our ambitious plans for the creation of the wider £60 million care village which we believe will be a national exemplar of how to integrate housing, health and social care.”