First bricks laid for £2.4m Lincoln housing for learning disabled

Work to develop a former Lincoln children’s home into a community of modern apartments for people with learning disabilities has begun.

A special ceremony saw former house manager Sue Taylor and some previous residents laying of the first bricks at the site at 400 Skellingthorpe Road on Friday, September 12.

The land was most recently the site of the Sampson House residential care home, used for accommodation by Lincolnshire learning disability charity, Linkage.

Linkage put in the bid to redesign the site, and planning permission was granted in May 2013.

It will now be replaced with 12 one-bed apartments, six two-bed houses and two three-bed houses.

People with learning disabilities will also have the opportunity to purchase a shared ownership property via Waterloo Housing Group, giving them the chance to invest in a life-long home.

The £2.4 million development by Waterloo has received £100,000 in funding from the City of Lincoln Council together with investment support from the Homes and Communities Agency.

The work will be carried out by local construction company, Lindum.

The development fits closely with the strategy of Lincolnshire County Council, which has been working with Linkage on this project, aimed at expanding opportunities for people with a learning difficulty to live as tenants and potentially owners in their own properties.

Ges Roulstone, Linkage Chief Executive, said: “We’ve taken an opportunity to modernise our services in Lincoln by replacing an old building which was no longer fit for purpose with 12 modern, energy-efficient, individual flats for people with learning difficulties.

“Alongside the flats, there will be shared ownership properties which will enable people to have an equity interest in their home, should they and or their families wish to make that choice.

“This is our latest collaboration with the Waterloo Housing Group, with whom we enjoy an excellent working relationship and have developed other sites sensitively. We look forward to the completion of this work next year.”

Anthony Riley, Waterloo’s Group Director of Development and Operations, added: “It is very rewarding for us to be working with Linkage again to help provide new and improved housing at this site.

“We are also delighted at the financial contribution made by the City of Lincoln Council, which has enabled the scheme to go ahead and provide vitally-needed, quality affordable homes for local people.”

An opening ceremony is planned for next summer to mark its completion.