Hewlett Court was constructed in the nineteen seventies and is now some forty five years old, and as such to maintain standards, we have over the last few years had to invest in certain improvements to keep standards up to date and meet current legislations. At the foremost of our minds during this time has been the welfare and comfort of the residents.
The improvements have included the full replacement of the boiler plant which supplies both the heating and hot water systems along with the replacement of the water storage tanks for the prevention of legionella disease, this along with other necessary repairs and improvements have taken place in the background without any obvious visual impact to residents or visitors.
However the latest improvements have had more of an impact such as the redevelopment of the centre courtyard which is now more fully accessible and includes grassed and paved seating areas and also includes a number of raised planters for easy access to residents.
The next phase of the planned improvements, with the help of various legacies, will certainly bring the home up to date; this will include the refurbishment of all the existing bedrooms including the installation of en suite bathroom facilities. The work has been twelve months in the planning stage with detailed discussions with Architects and Building services consultants, the work will be quite challenging in certain areas due to the existing design layout of the current bedrooms, and will require in certain areas re modelling three bedrooms into only two.
This refurbishment therefore will require the home to be extended so as to maintain the current occupancy levels, and indeed will increase the bedroom numbers by three to forty on completion of the project. The extension will be to the north elevation of the home and along with refurbishment of the current wardens quarters will be carried out as the first phase of the project.
It is anticipated that the works will commence during February 2019 and will be carried out in a number of phases, with completion being achieved, weather permitting, hopefully by spring 2020. All residents have been informed of the plans and although there will be some noise and disruption along the way they are looking forward to the development, we will of course keep you updated on progress in future newsletters.
