Extra Care

Sheffield Care Home

Working with a major contractor, this was the fourth retirement village for the Extracare Trust by the contractor’s team. Built on a steeply sloping site on the outskirts of Sheffield the land was generally undeveloped however; there had been significant unrecorded coal workings below the site which required significant problem solving.

The site was grouted to address the mining issues whereupon loadbearing masonry construction was utilised for the lower blocks with a steel frame for the five storey block. Traditional foundations were used onto the natural stiff clays and shales. The dramatically sloping site incorporated various types of retaining walls to all areas of the development in reinforced concrete or blockwork, stone gabions and proprietary stone walls laid dry and tied into engineered geotextile grid system.

The complex comprises a mix of three, four and five storey accommodation blocks containing 208 apartments together with 9 bungalows. The development partners were Arena Housing Association and Sheffield City Council.

Crewe Care Home

This is the third Belong Care Village and opened in December 2010. The 72 bedroom Care Home plus 12 extra care apartments continues the development of designing for people with dementia and the role of the care Village as a community facility.

The three storey building was constructed using load-bearing masonry and a central steel frame to the open plan communal areas. The building was partially piled to overcome a local weak area of sub-strata. The majority of the building was able to be supported from the excellent firm clay strata below the site.

Due to restrictions on surface water run off rates, the site was attenuated using cellular storage tanks below ground.

Milton Keynes Care Home

A negotiated project built by Gleeson’s with Alan Johnston Partnership providing civil and structural engineering services.

The village was built on the site of a former school. The difficult ground conditions were addressed by an innovative piling approach with the practice working closely with the chosen piling subcontractor.

Two central steel frame atriums formed the focal point for the community areas of the development and incorporated large rooflights.



Despite starting during the winter the project was delivered on time and on budget.

Atlas Street, St Helens

Alan Johnston Partnership was involved in the design and construction of Atlas Street, a state-of-the-art extra care facility located in St Helens, UK. The development was created specifically to meet the needs of older residents and includes 130 affordably rented one and two bedroom apartments to improve options available to local residents aged 55 and over.

The project was carried out on behalf of the Torus group and involved the construction of a five-storey building featuring a central boiler plant with CHP as the primary heating source. The building also includes communal amenities such as a bistro and hairdressers, as well as landscaped grounds with views of the St Helens Canal to offer enhanced living experiences to its residents.

Foundry Wharf is one of the largest developments in St Helens and is notable for its contemporary design and use of high-quality materials, including dramatic brickwork. The project was led by main contractor Cruden Construction and completed in March 2020. The building's location on Atlas Street makes it a prominent feature when entering the city centre. All of the apartments in the development have full or Juliette balconies and have been built to a high specification.

Dovestone Gardens, Burnley

Alan Johnston Partnership will provide civil and structural design services for the development of a new extra care housing complex in Burnley. The £16.6 million project will be located on a derelict plot of land on Briercliffe Road and is set to be completed in 2024. It will consist of 93 high-quality apartments designed to cater to the assisted living needs of older people, with a focus on improving quality of life and reducing social isolation. The development will include a communal garden, community space, and a bistro. It will be the first of its kind in Burnley and has been developed in response to a growing need for extra care accommodation in the area.

The project has been planned in collaboration with housing provider The Calico Group, architects Brock Carmichael, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Burnley Borough Council, the University of Central Lancashire, and Lancashire County Council. Construction is set to begin in summer 2022 by Ring Stones Maintenance and Construction.

Arncliffe Road, Liverpool

Alan Johnston Partnership is delivering consulting engineering services for the Arncliffe Road development in Halewood, Liverpool, approved by Knowsley Council. This new extra care facility, located on the site of the former Cherry Tree Children's Centre, will offer 77 affordable apartments for residents aged 55 and over. In addition to providing comfortable living spaces, the development will feature a variety of amenities designed to enrich the lives of its residents, such as a beauty salon, bistro and communal lounge. The development will also feature staff facilities and guest suites for visitors, as well as landscaped grounds and car parking managed by Plus Dane Housing, to enhance its overall accessibility.

This project addresses the increasing demand for high quality, affordable homes among older people in the Liverpool City Region, driven by an ageing population and an increase in single-person households. By releasing existing family housing into the market and creating new jobs in the care sector, the Arncliffe Road development aims to stimulate and support the evolving community. It also offers a safe and well-designed alternative to traditional care homes, which have become less popular in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.