A £2.5M DEVELOPMENT in Lhanbryde is set to provide permanent homes and respite accommodation for adults with autism and communications difficulties.
Moray Council has revealed that the ground-breaking project will help support the needs of adults who have high levels of care – and provide the opportunity for them to live in a home of their own for the first time.
Plans for the project are to go on show to the public next month, with Lhanbryde residents invited to learn more about the development directly from the project team at the local community centre on Wednesday, August 12 from 4pm to 7pm.
The project moved forward last month when councillors approved funding for the facility which will replace Maybank, the converted Victorian house in Forres that had become unsuitable for the needs of those living there.
Staffed 24 hours a day, the Lhanbryde development will be positioned off the Garmouth Road on a site that was previously designated for industrial use. Seven bungalows will be built for permanent residents while one house will be built as respite accommodation, giving families a break.
Another building will be for communal use so that residents can come together to socialise, while the remaining building will provide office and accommodation space for staff.
Each house will have its own garden and a sensory garden is also planned, while there will also be landscaping of the site and a new access road.
A planning application for the proposals will be submitted to Moray Council after the community information event has taken place, and at that point formal comments on the proposals can be made.
Work is expected to start on the new homes in the spring of 2016 with a view to completion early in 2017.
Anyone unable to attend the information event but who would like more details can email involvement@moray.gov.uk or call 01343 567187.