Jewish Care has revealed plans for a £25 million development of its existing community centre site in Redbridge to create its fourth campus in the London area.

Its residential home in Gants Hill, Vi and John Rubens House, will relocate to new 66-bed premises on the site, which will also accommodate a centre for people with dementia and Jewish Care’s area social work team. There is additional provision for wider communal use.

The charity reports that following a positive pre-planning application meeting with Redbridge Council officials at the end of last year, it will submit its planning proposals next month.

Exterior Still - Care Home Garden

A garden area will be among the features of the care home (Image: Jewish Care)

If the application is successful, finalising details of the development will take at least nine months and so building work is not expected to start before mid-2023, with a target completion date of late 2025.

There will be no retirement living flats on site, recent research into such provision across the area having shown an ample supply of developments that support the local community. Around £8 million has already been raised or pledged towards the project and the proceeds from the eventual sale of the current care home will also contribute to the financing.

The community centre site has been closed since the start of the pandemic and as an interim measure, its day centre and adult community centre, as well as its Mike youth leadership programme, will continue to operate at Woodford Forest United Synagogue.

Interior Still - Reception

An impression of the reception area (Image: Jewish Care)

And its centre for those with dementia will remain within its dedicated space at the Vi and John Rubens home.

Jewish Care chief executive Daniel Carmel-Brown said: “We have always remained 100 per cent committed to the development of the right services to meet current and future demand for our Essex and East London community.

“We are delighted to be moving forward with the process.”

The charity’s director of legal affairs, property and procurement, Jonathan West, added that as the project progressed, “we will continue to involve and update the local community and stakeholders across Jewish Care at each step of the way”.

It was committed to ensuring “that the development is as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible.

“We aim to significantly reduce the carbon footprint by using air source heat pumps to reduce gas usage and utilising other measures in order to work towards achieving an excellent environmental certificate under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (Breem).”

Exterior Still - Second Floor Balcony

An exterior balcony area with beautiful views (Image: Jewish Care)

The charity estimates that the new development will be used by around 250 people daily, demonstrating the ongoing need for its services as the Essex/East London Jewish population becomes more widespread.

Jewish Care communications director Ellisa Estrin noted the influx of young Jewish families into places such as Epping, Harlow and Waltham Abbey.

With “many mezuzahs on doors” in these and more traditional areas, “we are excited to finally give this thriving community new facilities designed to meet their needs on a state-of-the-art campus”.

Jewish Care’s other campuses are in Golders Green, Friern Barnet and Stanmore.