Hester Court has now opened
A celebration event has marked the opening of a new 75-home extra care scheme in Hendon. Hester Court is a newly built extra care scheme specialising in supporting adults with care and support needs who want to live independently in their own homes, with access to on-site care and support. It has been built on the Upper and Lower Fosters estate in Hendon, as part of a wider development programme which will deliver a total of 217 new homes.
Hester Court has 75 wheelchair-accessible one- and two-bedroom apartments, with a modern design and communal areas where people can socialise.
The extra care scheme is owned and funded by Barnet Council and will be managed by Your Choice Barnet, The Barnet Group's provider of adult care, with residents expected to start moving in shortly.
The architects for Hester Court are Allies and Morrison, and Colourways are responsible for the internal design. The scheme has been constructed by award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group, who has worked on the construction of this project for the past three years with Barnet Homes, who have managed the project.
Councillor Alison Moore Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, London Borough of Barnet said, “It’s a great pleasure to be at the handover of this beautiful new building, the third extra care setting that Barnet Council and partners have built. And it really is a wonderful new facility for those who need some extra care to enable them to maintain independent living. Hester Court provides that support but gives each resident their own fully equipped flat.
“Alongside that, there are also lovely communal spaces that allow them to be both private when they wish and to join in with others when they want to. And of course, to have the comfort of knowing that there are trained staff to give them just the level of care they need. Hester Court looks very welcoming and I think that will be really important for those who want to come into a setting like this and know that it's going to be a really nice place to live.”
Eamon McGoldrick, Chair of the Barnet Group said, “I'm very proud to be here at the opening of Hester Court in Hendon. On behalf of London Borough of Barnet we've now delivered our third new extra care scheme.We have a good geographical spread and have a much-needed facility for those who require extra care support. It's our role to provide a range of housing; social housing, affordable housing, market rent, bill for sale, extra care, and sheltered housing. This is part of our portfolio, extra care is vitally needed, and these very new high-quality homes are providing a vital service for residents.”
Julie Riley, Group Director of Care & Support at Your Choice Barnet (YCB) said, “I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the development of Hester Court, from Council colleagues and the Barnet Homes development team for their vision, the architects, contractors and interior designers. We have had great buy in from the locals and know that the people who move into Hester Court will be made to feel very welcome. The Your Choice Barnet manager, Titi, and her care team are also very eager to begin this journey with the new tenants.”
Michael Turner, Regional Director at The Hill Group, said: “It was a pleasure to be at this opening event, sharing this moment with our partners who have supported us and placed their trust in Hill to deliver this high-quality extra care scheme. At Hill, we take great pride in every development but knowing how much this scheme will benefit the community makes it especially meaningful. I hope that the new residents feel truly at home and enjoy their new surroundings.”
Following the event, residents from the estate were welcomed to have a look around the new scheme and received unique chopping boards, which were made from wood recycled from trees on the estate.