CAPABILITY Scotland’s build of a new complex care facility at Bertha Park Village in Perth will be its ‘most significant, complex, and exciting’ project to date, the organisation’s chief executive has told Project Scotland.
Currently in the design stage, the 60-studio care facility aims to promote a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. It will feature day care facilities, a hydrotherapy pool, adapted gym, theatre, bar, and respite service interlinked with flexible communal areas and green spaces, as well as four traditional flats for residents who can live independently or who may eventually move into a flat with assisted living. There will also be a staff hub, which will provide training facilities to develop exemplar care.
The site will replace the existing care facility, located four miles away. The location was chosen after Capability Scotland reached out to Perth and Kinross Council who introduced the organisation to Springfield Properties, developer of Bertha Park.
“Firstly, there’s no flood risk so we can sleep easy at night,” Brian Logan, chief executive of Capability Scotland, explained when asked about the benefits of the new site. The existing site at Isla Road, by the River Tay, is increasingly at risk of flooding due to climate change.
“Another significant thing is that it’s very rare that organisations like us can have a blank canvas to reimagine their services. This is a brand new site where we can design something that is absolutely meeting the needs of our customers and that’s a fantastic opportunity for us.”
Each flat is set to be significantly larger than what is at the current facility, which Brian said was considered ‘state-of-the-art’ and ‘exemplar’ when built some 40 years ago. Further to this, each property will have either a garden or balcony space, as well as technology to allow residents to control their environment and live more independently.
Anderson Bell + Christie (AB+C) has been appointed to lead the design, with a detailed planning application expected to be submitted to Perth and Kinross Council around Christmas time.
A key part of Capability Scotland’s vision, which AB+C has included in plans, is to have community facilities such as a cafe and community hub. Brian hopes the facility will be seen as a key asset to Bertha Park, which is set to have around 3,000 homes built in the area over the next 30 years.
“We want to have facilities that are community facing,” he explained, adding that the community facilities will be available for activities that may or may not involve residents. “It’s a resource for the wider Bertha Park community and will hopefully help to break down some of the barriers that often exist between disabled people and the wider community.”
The proposed new facility will neighbour Bertha Park High School, which opened in 2019. Heaping praise on the pupils of the school, Brian said they have already held engagement sessions with students which have received a great response.
“We know that the young people there are loving engaging with our residents, and we can only see that continuing when we get there,” he stated. “Our people have a huge amount to give and if I’ve had a bad day in the office, the one thing that lifts my morale and mood is meeting with our residents because they are full of spirit and tenacity, and their attitudes, behaviours, and outlook on life is something that we can all benefit from.”
It’s not just youngsters from Bertha Park High who have been involved in the new facility at Bertha Park, but students from across Scotland. Architect and TV presenter George Clarke recently chose the winners of a creative design challenge to help shape the new care centre. Young people were invited to take part in a design brief to help envision how a new inclusive community and sustainable building project could look like. The challenge was held in partnership with the Ministry of Building Innovation and Education (MOBIE), a charity founded by George Clarke.
Isla Bethune of Bertha Park High School and Tassi Forbes of Perth High School were crowned as joint overall winners, with Brian revealing that some of the ideas from the competition are set to be included in the final designs.
“Young people are absolutely bursting with ideas,” he said. “We knew that they would come up with some really creative things that we would never have thought of, and there’s a number of things that have come through the process that we will undoubtedly include in the final designs.
“To have them involved has also really lifted the morale; it’s been great for our residents to engage with the youngsters to tell them their issues, so that they can go away and develop ideas.”
The next step is to recruit a technical project manager, a civil and structural engineer, and landscape consultants. Brian said that he anticipates that the wider team will be in place in the coming weeks ahead of the detailed planning application being submitted later in the year.
