Residents are settling in to a brand new over 55s complex which has been built in Stoke-on-Trent.
Rialto Court based in Jesse Austin Avenue, off City Road, in Fenton is the latest sheltered housing scheme to be developed by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
The £11 million scheme has been built on the former Rialto Pottery site – which operated from 1920 to 1926 – and has been decorated in an art-deco style in homage to the company’s popular Rialto Ware, some of which is on display in the complex’s reception area.
It boasts 65 one and two-bed apartments and communal facilities including a laundry room, kitchen, dining area, residents lounge, community gardens and a scooter storage area.
Rialto Court welcomed its first residents in November 2022 and 47 properties are already occupied. A handful of other properties have since been allocated and more residents are ready to move in in the near future.
Councillor Carl Edwards, cabinet member for housing and environment, said: “Rialto Court is a fantastic scheme which has everything residents need to live a fulfilled and independent life while giving them the peace of mind that support is on hand if required.
“The development is an £11 million investment into Fenton and is proof that our plan to replace some of the city’s most outdated sheltered housing schemes is working.
“One of our key priorities is to provide safe and well-maintained homes for residents across Stoke-on-Trent. We have made significant progress in this regard and continue to do so.”
The completion of Rialto Court follows the launch of the £8.7 million, 57-bed Queen Elizabeth II scheme in Temple Street, Fenton, in September 2020.
It also comes after Cabinet agreed to progress with the demolition of five former sheltered housing schemes in Stoke-on-Trent which are no longer fit for purpose.
Councillor Abi Brown, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Rialto Court is a fantastic example of the hard work we have done over the last few years to improve the city’s housing offer by moving away from schemes which are no longer fit-for-purpose and toward providing accommodation which meets people’s changing needs.
“Our new sheltered housing schemes are becoming very popular with residents who have moved out of some of our older schemes and others who have taken advantage of our movement incentive scheme to downsize from three or four-bedroom houses.
“We look forward to having even more developments like Rialto Court and QEII throughout the city as we move forward. We want to people to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible and help them to live their best lives in Stoke-on-Trent.”
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