Firm foundations for the future

A charity is a step closer to achieving its aim of providing supported housing for people with learning disabilities in Southwell.

Southwell Care Project has submitted plans to Newark and Sherwood District Council to build a house for six people off Fiskerton Road.

The site has outline planning permission for eight two-bedroom cottages, which were approved on appeal earlier this year.

Residents in the six-bedroom house would live as a family with carers providing support.

Mr Steve Shatwell, Southwell Care Project manager, said the charity had been looking to build in the town for years.

He said: “It has been one of the major objectives of the charity to provide some suitable accommodation in Southwell since we started 11 years ago.

“The charity was set up by a group of parents who were worried about what would happen to their children with learning disabilities when they were no longer able to look after them.

“It has taken us this long to find a suitable piece of land.”

Mr Shatwell said no statutory or commercial supported housing provider would consider building in Southwell because of the high cost of land and properties.

He said: “What this project will do is enable people who are aged between 25 and 55 to at least live independently in the community that they have always lived in.

“In the past, the only alternative to living with their parents was to find a home in Newark or some other town.”

Mr Shatwell said it could be traumatic for people with learning disabilities to move out of the town.

He said: “Effectively what they are faced with is a double trauma — the trauma of perhaps leaving their mum and dad and then having to be shipped off to another area where they lose their friends and neighbours.

“In small rural communities everyone has a watching brief over adults with learning disabilities because everyone knows them, everyone keeps an eye on them and everyone helps keep them safe.”

Mr Shatwell said they hoped to provide people with homes for their lifetimes.

He said: “Having the opportunity to build exactly to the specification and the design that our clients would like is brilliant.”

Mr Shatwell said the plans had received positive feedback from people in the town.

He said: “The response we have had from town councillors, district councillors and particularly local residents and neighbours has been just wonderful.”

Mr Shatwell said the care project hoped to raise about £400,000 to pay for the building work.