Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) today released details of its scheme to build its first care home in nearly 50 years.

The 63-bed facility will sit on the site of the recently-demolished Magistrates Court and Police Centre in Leighton Buzzard and is due for completion by the end of next summer.

The proposal, designed by Concertus Design and Property Consultants and CBC, will provide residential units along with a community hub for use by both the residents and the local community.

Central Bedfordshire Council’s proposed new care home for Leighton Buzzard

Darren Fellowes, Associate Director from Concertus, said: “It has been fantastic to work with our partners in Central Bedfordshire Council to design the new Hockliffe Road Care Home. We are very excited to be entering the next stage, to select a contractor to work with the team to deliver this prestigious project”.

Although the site is a complex shape, an extensive landscaped area will be provided, which will wrap around the whole building. This will encourage residents to engage and have access to garden areas, which will support the residents’ health and wellbeing needs.

The building will be PassivHause certified, one of the earliest in the UK and the first for CBC. Passive design focuses on the use of thicker walls, reduced air-leakage and other techniques to reduce heat demand. The council has also used a combination of air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps and solar thermal systems for all the heating and hot water requirements of the building.