New supported-living flats for adults with learning disabilities have opened in Paulsgrove, with residents due to start moving in this week.
Built on the old site of Longdean Lodge, the new accommodation is named after ex-councillor Jim Patey in honour of his services to Paulsgrove and the wider city. Jim attended an open day last week with his family, where attendees could look around the new living space before residents started to move in.
The new accommodation comprises eight one-bedroom and five four-bedroom flats, providing homes for 28 adults with a learning disability.
The £6.6m project, designed by Portsmouth City Council, is a flagship sustainable building with tripled-glazed windows, a ground source heat pump, and solar panels on the roof. Twenty new trees have been planted on the site, and a wildflower meadow has been seeded on chalk soil. The new residents of Patey Court have also created a mural with their handprints displayed in the reception area.
The development is part of the council’s wider plans for creating more sustainable homes for residents, including those who need support to live independently. It sits alongside the Doyle Avenue flats in Hilsea, which include three houses built specifically for people with disabilities and the planned extra care dementia community of 50 self-contained apartments in Cosham.
Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care, Cllr Matthew Winnington, said:
“We’re committed to increasing the range of good quality, accessible accommodation in Portsmouth for those with care and support needs, so those who would like to live independently have the option to do so. Patey Court is a prime example of this, and it’s wonderful to see new residents begin to move in this week. I wish them all the very best in their new homes.”
Cabinet Member for Housing and Preventing Homelessness, Cllr Darren Sanders, said:
“It’s so exciting to see some of the city’s new council homes come to fruition. The council has built or plans to build 750 new council homes in the coming years because Portsmouth people deserve homes they can afford. I am delighted to welcome the new residents to Patey Court and hope all attendees had the chance to celebrate what a milestone this is in providing more accessible, sustainable, and quality accommodation.”
