The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Roz Gladden, has officially re-opened a refurbished housing scheme for over 55s, which has undergone a £1.3m makeover by Liverpool Mutual Homes (LMH).
Shallcross Court was originally built as ‘general needs’ flats but was converted to sheltered accommodation in the 1980s for people over 55 and over the years became outdated but now the scheme has a new modern exterior, an attractive shared garden, communal lounge, laundry, hair salon and a new pedestrian access route, which will make it easier for residents to go to nearby shops and use local services.
The Lord Mayor was joined by residents and local Councillors Jane Corbett and Frank Prendergast for the opening ceremony and a celebratory tea party. The Lord Mayor and Councillors had a tour of the scheme, which was transformed with the help of John McCall Architects and the contractor who undertook the works, HMS.
Shallcross Court Resident, Joan, who has lived at the scheme for 7 years, said of the refurbishment: “It’s unbelievable – no one thought it would be this good. I can’t fault it in any way. LMH and HMS took everyone’s view point into consideration. The building and garden are much more attractive and accessible for everyone. In particular we feel much safer going in and out of our new front entrance”.
The re-opening of Shallcross Court also marks the completion of an ambitious improvement programme for LMH, with more than £13m invested to fully refurbish 17 schemes across the City for people aged 55 and over.
Angela Forshaw, Executive Director (Operations) at LMH, said: “The original work undertaken on Shallcross Court in the 1980’s was good for its time but had become very tired and old fashioned so it’s now wonderful to see this transformation. Today is not only a great day for LMH, HMS and the residents of Shallcross Court but also a celebration of the better living standards that our older tenants can now enjoy across the City”.
“The Lord Mayor said: “Sheltered homes are vital to many people to enable them to lead happy and independent lives – and we should not underestimate the positive impact on health and wellbeing that these improvements will have for LMH’s 750 sheltered tenants across the City for many years to come”.
