Kirklees Together

Work is now underway on a new specialist supported living scheme in Batley for people with learning disabilities and autism.

Where is the new development?

The new development, on the site of the former Woodwell House care home on Mayman Lane, will be developed and managed by Choice Support, a national charity supporting people with autism, learning disabilities and mental health needs.

What does the development include?

Planning permission was granted for the development in December 2018. It will include six single-storey self-contained houses, staff accommodation and training facilities.
The new development will offer individual bespoke living environments, plus outdoor space and parking.

What is the aim of the scheme?

The scheme aims to provide innovative, high-quality housing which is designed to enable individuals to live as independently as possible within the community.

Working in partnership

We have worked in partnership with Choice Support to bring the development forward on this former council-owned site and with the National Health Service England (NHSE) which has allocated a funding from the Transforming Care Partnership (TCP) fund to support the delivery of the scheme.

What is the Kirklees Housing Strategy?

Kirklees Housing Strategy 2018-23 is focussed on supporting the overall health and wellbeing of residents, on prevention and early intervention and enabling people to access and maintain a settled, safe, affordable and good quality home that supports their independence and life chances.

Cllr Shabir Pandor, Leader of Kirklees Council, said:

“This is a fantastic development and I’m delighted to confirm that work is now underway on it.

The priority of this scheme is to deliver specialist and supported housing which meets the needs of vulnerable groups of people in Kirklees, including those with learning disabilities.

There’s a proven need to develop some very specialist and bespoke individual accommodation for people with complex needs and behaviours and it’s something we’re committed to doing.

In providing housing for some of the most vulnerable people in the district, the scheme enables people to live independently when otherwise they might be able to and could help to reduce admissions to hospital and ease some of the pressure on emergency services.”

Philippa Hughes, Housing Lead for the NHS Transforming Care Programme in the North of England, said:

“NHS England is delighted to support this much needed new development. By working closely with the local partners we were able to secure significant capital investment and bring this award winning innovative housing design to Kirklees, helping people to live full and meaningful lives in their communities.”

Sarah Maguire, Choice Support’s CEO, said:

“We are very excited about our partnership with Kirklees Council and NHS England to bring people home through the Transforming Care Programme. We are passionate about the innovations built into our design, meaning we construct and deliver aspirational accommodation. Building on existing award winning projects, Mayman Lane will create a homely, safe space. We are very proud to be part of a project to deliver accommodation where people can build their lives back in their communities.”