Wheelchair friendly homes built on new Somerset housing development

A number of homes on one of Weston-super-Mare’s biggest new developments are being built specifically for disabled people. St Modwen Homes has joined forces with social housing provider Alliance Homes to build accessible homes for people in Locking.

The three new homes will be at St Modwen’s Handley Place development and will be fully accessible for wheelchairs.

The brand-new additions will consist of two semi-detached and one detached home, all built with features that make moving around the home and independent living easier than in a standard home. Each home will have floor lifts and adjustable worktops in the kitchen plus wet rooms and bedrooms which are wheelchair friendly.

Extra loading has been incorporated into the roofs to allow a hoist to be fitted in the future. Switch and sockets have been installed at certain heights to allow residents to access them easily and position their appliances.

St. Modwen Homes technical manager Stewart Court, said: “We are so happy to have collaborated with Alliance Homes to bring these accessible homes to life. At St. Modwen Homes, we want everyone to be able to have a home that meets their needs.

“When building these fully accessible homes, we have taken extra care to include the practical features and amenities that will be most useful to the individuals living there.

“Whilst the homes incorporate a lot of specialist items and automation, much of the design was about ensuring things are in the right places and set at appropriate heights, allowing them to adapt to individual needs.”

The accessible homes will be allocated to new tenants by Alliance Homes.

Alliance Homes head of land and new business Sarah McQuatt said: “At Alliance we are not only striving to deliver more affordable homes across North Somerset, but we also want to ensure that we are able to meet some of the more specific housing needs identified within our communities.

“Providing good quality accessible homes is a priority as we understand the importance of being able to live more independently whilst maintaining community links and networks.”