Sheltered housing revamp plans underway (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Caroline Sharpe House revamp plans underway in St Albans

6:00pm Tuesday 12th February 2013 in News By Rebecca Perring, Reporter

The long-awaited plans for the rebuild and improvement of a sheltered housing scheme in St Albans have been passed.

Former elderly residents of the Caroline Sharpe House in Chiltern Road have been waiting two years for the developments of the abandoned site to be agreed.

At a planning committee meeting last night (Monday) St Albans District councillors passed the plans by North Hertfordshire Homes.

The current site will be demolished and plans include the front entrance of the houses being located away from a busy road and next to a bus stop, an extra floor of the building to provide professional care to elderly and vulnerable residents, a roof garden and balconies.

John Foster, Sandridge Parish Councillor said: "I am delighted and this is terrific news for my friends and former residents of the Caroline Sharpe House who will be happy that at last plans are finally getting on the way.

"The developments are great and the building is bright and colourful. This will definitely be a home for life.

"The plans fit in with the street scene and character of its surroundings and it will be like stepping into a 4 star hotel."

In May 2009, 24 residents in the current Caroline Sharpe House were moved into temporary accommodation and by the end of 2009 the majority had been temporarily relocated to Linley Court, in Valley Road.

Colin Smart, managing director of Kyle Smart Associates, the architects behind the plans said it was fantastic news.

He said: "A lot of hard work has gone into this and a lot of consultation.

"It is fantastic that we can now move forward. More importantly this is fantastic news for the residents who can now see a back stop. They deserve somewhere nice to live."

Mr Smart added he was keen to start developing the site straight away and over the next few months, the site would be demolished and work would begin.

It is hoped the redevelopment of Caroline Sharpe House will be completed by July 2014.