Progress report on £13m construction phase of Leighton Buzzard care home

Apprenticeships, an arts project and an education programme are part of community benefits for Leighton Buzzard during the year-long construction of a £13m care home.

The 63-bedroom Marigold House is being built on the former police station and magistrates court site in Hockliffe Road.

Central Bedfordshire Council is replacing a number of outdated homes, such as Westlands Residential Home.

Four months after the groundbreaking ceremony, community business manager for building contractor Farrans, Eddie Burton, told CBC's Leighton-Linslade partnership committee: "We've been chipping away since November.

"Most of the ground work will be done this month," he said. "We're hoping for a 70 per cent local supply chain for our materials."

The premises will contain community space once finished, while a series of activities are planned by Farrans during the building process.

"We'll be running two multi-generational events during the year," explained Mr Burton, who also referred to the potential for three or four site visits for students interested in a career in construction, local residents and businesses.

"There'll be an arts project to be decided working with CBC, an environmental clean-up, and there's an education programme with a small primary school workshop teaching key stage two children about safety.

"We're committed to a careers in construction seminar and I'm happy to run as many of those throughout the year as possible.

"There are three or four learning modules covering sustainability, health and safety, communication and employability. We've done them elsewhere with other projects and find them quite useful."

Conservative Leighton Buzzard South CBC councillor Amanda Dodwell described the development as "absolutely fantastic".

Conservative Linslade CBC councillor Gordon Perham mentioned the importance of choosing an interesting time for site visits, such as when a crane is lifting heavy materials to encourage people to come.

Mr Burton promised to supply some "milestone dates", adding: "I don't want to keep saying nothing's happening."

Independent Linslade councillor Victoria Harvey advised: "It would be a good idea to liaise with us over the arts event idea. I hope you'll be talking to Cedars Upper School and Linslade Middle School."

Mr Burton confirmed the two schools are on his list, while a level two and a level three apprenticeship posts will be advertised locally.

Town councillor Clive Palmer, who chaired the committee, said: "There's a whole list of things which are of great interest.

"We could offer some help and support, but we don't know what's happening where just yet."

Mr Burton replied: "One of the benefits of being here is to gain your support for everything we're doing and happy to look beyond what we've committed to already.

"We want to leave a decent legacy while we're there on site and wish to be spoken about in the right way when we've finished."

CBC development and commissioning manager Ian Hanton said: "Hopefully we'll celebrate what will be a fantastic scheme for Leighton Buzzard for the next 30 to 40 years.

"It's a very energy efficient state-of-the-art building, 100 per cent electric, mindful of our climate responsibilities.

"There's community space in the building. We'll be working with you about how that space comes to life once the scheme is open, with completion due January 31st 2023.

"We're starting our community engagement workstream in April and you're part of that process.

"It's how we make best use of that building, so that it delivers for the people living there and provides a benefit for the wider community."

Councillor Palmer added: "It's very positive, something we're supportive of and I understand better what social value means in this particularly context."