Steel-signing ceremony marks major milestone in £4m Queensferry day care centre construction

A new £4 million adult day centre being built in the grounds of the former John Summers High School in Queensferry is taking shape.

Officers and members of Flintshire County Council, along with representatives from partner organisations, held a steel-signing ceremony at the site to mark this major milestone in the construction of this new £4 million Day and Work Opportunities Centre.

The new centre named “Hwb Cyfle” will provide a single-storey adult day care centre specialising in community daytime facilities and social care services for vulnerable adults with varying degrees of learning disabilities.

It will replace the existing aging facility adjacent to the site and works will also include a car park, drop off space and enclosed garden.

Flintshire has led the way with all key partners in developing this centre which aims to better integrate health, social care and the third sector, to help people with learning disabilities live more independently at home.

The project is being delivered by Kier and is being delivered through the Scape National Minor Works framework.

It is particularly significant for Kier as it marks the 1000th project it has been awarded through the framework.

Flintshire County Council, Kier Construction, HFT and Scape Procure Ltd sign the beam of the construction of the new Glanrafon Centre in Queensferry. Pictured: Flintshire County Council, Kier, Scape Procure and HFT with a celebratory cake to mark the occasion

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Social Services, Councillor Christine Jones, said:

“The Council, along with our partners, is working hard to transform services for people with a learning disability. Flintshire County Council has invested in the future of this key service and enabled these state of the art facilities to come into being.

“Despite financial pressures faced by the Council, we continue to invest in in key capital projects which support essential services. Our investment of £4 million in Flintshire allocated to building the new learning disability day services facility shows this commitment. 

The new building will be state-of-the-art and has been designed with input from service users, their family members and our staff.”

Michael Edwards, Director for Strategic Frameworks and Alliances at Kier, commented:

“We are delighted to have commenced work on our 1000th Scape National Minor Works framework project. Through the framework we have delivered hundreds of much-needed projects for local communities, including schools, hospitals and town halls.

“We are looking forward to completing this project that will provide much-needed healthcare facilities for adults with learning disabilities in the community.”

Kier has been on site since August with the project due to complete in spring 2019.

The construction firm said it will be making a donation towards the first Christmas Fair held at the day centre for a live reindeer attraction and has arranged for 12 Coleg Cambria Traineeship students to help improve the outdoor space at the centre.

Victoria Brambini, Managing Director, Scape Procure, commented:

“Our Minor Works framework has consistently delivered successful projects with social value embedded throughout. I am so pleased that this 1000th project Kier is delivering through Scape’s procurement routes continues to create real value, leaving a positive legacy for the Queensferry area.”

Feature image: Cllr Christine Jones/Twitter