19 October 2004 D13/2004

Following a re-examination of options for the future of Pilgrim Court, Downland Housing Association announced today (Tuesday October 19) that future plans will not include extra care facility.

Downland will now work with Mid Sussex District Council to find the right way forward and they will design and build attractive homes at Pilgrim Court that will benefit the local community for many years to come. There will also be opportunities for local residents to look at and comment on the new plans once they are available.

Originally Downland had hoped to replace the small and outdated bedsits with a purpose built scheme for older people, but was not successful in getting government funding for this.

Downland had said from the earliest discussion with residents that the original plans were dependent on planning permission and government funding and that in the event of either of these not being met, that the scheme would not go ahead.

Following recent discussions with local people and councillors, Downland commissioned an independent investigation to see whether or not any other extra care scheme would be possible without government funding.

Extra care schemes are particularly expensive to build and to run. Options such as providing a smaller extra care scheme and selling some of the homes to private buyers to subsidise the scheme were explored, but proved that the financial loss would be too great over the years.

“We have taken expert advice from a specialist consultant and are very disappointed that, despite our best efforts, an extra care scheme at Pilgrim Court will not be possible,” said Chief Executive, Mary Coburn.

’’We have invested in the local area over the last 14 years, improving properties and building new homes, as well as addressing neighbourhood issues such as taking effective action to deal with antisocial behaviour.

“The amount of work and investment that would have been needed to maintain the outmoded properties meant that keeping them as they were was simply not an option. We were clear about the funding needs from the beginning when we started looking at redevelopment of the site back in 1995.