THE region's first extra-care development for elderly people is in the running for a national design award.
The Priory Court complex in Wardley, Gateshead, has been shortlisted for the Pinders Healthcare Design Awards. The national contest rewards excellence in accommodation for the elderly and disabled.
The 40-apartment building, operated by Gateshead Council and Housing 21, has already won regional awards for its construction.
The place on the shortlist in the not-for-profit category follows a visit by judges, who were shown the building and its communal garden, which features raised flowerbeds for easy wheelchair access.
The complex also includes communal areas at street level, featuring a shop, hair and beauty salon, restaurant, exercise room and a hydrotherapy pool.
The apartments are fitted with sensors that switch on lighting and heating for residents and alert a warden if someone falls out of bed or leaves taps running.
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