Work completed on £7m 'Sanctuary' for older people in South Yorkshire

Work has now been completed on the transformation of a former South Yorkshire school into a development of 46 homes for the over 55’s.

Designed by Leeds-based architects Brewster Bye, the £7m development is situated on the site of the former Woolley Wood School in Shiregreen near Sheffield.

Known as Sycamore Heights, the new homes were built by contractor Keepmoat for housing and care provider, Sanctuary Group.

Part-funded by the Homes and Communities agency, Sycamore Heights offers a mix of one and two-bed apartments for rent, including four with wheelchair access.

Sycamore Heights, was recently visited by Sheffield MP Gill Furniss who took a tour and met some of the residents in their new homes.

MP Gill Furniss said: “Having visited the development last year when it was still effectively under construction, it has been wonderful to come back and see it completed and with people actually living here.

“Sycamore Heights has done so much for the local area, not only providing much-needed accommodation for older people but also offering a number of employment opportunities, both during its construction and now that it’s open.”

Colleen Eccles, Sanctuary’s director of neighbourhoods, added: “We were delighted to give MP Gill Furniss a tour of the scheme and introduce her to some of the residents.

“We are very proud of Sycamore Heights. It has provided much-needed new homes for local people in Shiregreen and we are pleased the residents are enjoying their new homes.”

Mark Henderson, a director at Brewster Bye, also commented: “We have designed and delivered over 300 affordable homes for the Sanctuary Group over the last three years at projects across the UK. Shiregreen, which sits within a popular residential area close to Meadowhall, is the latest project to complete.

“It’s been rewarding to see our vision for the project come to life. Our design focus was on a contemporary building that would deliver exceptional housing for older people, and Shiregreen has certainly achieved that.”