Date:
Brockhill residents are to be consulted about the proposed closure of the extra care sheltered housing scheme in Goldworth Park.
To operate the building safely, Brockhill requires urgent fire safety remedial works and a heating upgrade, which combined, is estimated to cost £2.75m. The capital investment required over the next 10 years to maintain the building is expected to exceed £5.5m, which is an unviable and disproportionate level of investment for a building that no longer meets modern day standards.
A report which will be presented to the council’s Executive on 14 December 2023, recommends closing the facility and commencing formal consultation with residents about their ongoing housing needs.
Cllr Ian Johnson, Woking Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “The council has done everything possible to the keep the building going. Regardless of our financial challenges, the required expenditure needed to keep the building safe and compliant with regulatory standards is simply unviable for the size and age of the scheme.
“Residents are very aware of the issues we’ve had maintaining the building and have been informed this week of our intention to close Brockhill for good. This was very hard news to deliver especially as some residents have lived at Brockhill since the scheme opened in 1990.
“The Executive report seeks approval to start consulting residents, their families and carers, which will include understanding their needs and preferences. We can then find them suitable alternative accommodation as soon as possible and support them fully through this process.
“We have introduced measures to mitigate fire safety concerns and have started to move the most vulnerable residents, who in the event of a fire, could not evacuate safely without assistance.
“It is becoming apparent that Brockhill is no longer a safe and suitable place for vulnerable residents to live.”
Thirty-two of the 48 self-contained flats at Brockhill are currently occupied by older residents who benefit from ‘extra care’ on site should they need it to maintain their independence.
Consultation about the future of the scheme will commence as soon as possible and run for a minimum of 30 days.
For more information, please see the Executive report which will be published on the council’s website one week ahead of the meeting. You can also watch the Executive meeting on 14 December online.