His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester visited Bury St. Edmunds to launch Kier's multi-million pound redevelopment project at the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) residential care home, Manson House.

The Duke, who is president of RABI, cut the first turf in the two-year project to build new self-contained apartments and to completely refurbish the Grade II* listed Georgian house.

Speaking about the project, RABI chief executive Paul Burrows said: "His Royal Highness first visited Manson House in 1994 to open the Manson Gardens apartments and we are delighted that he is able to be here today to launch this new and exciting development.

"Since RABI acquired Manson House in 1975 there have been various developments improving and extending the facilities but a detailed survey of the main building in 2009 confirmed that, while structurally sound, major repair works were required. Faced with potential repairs costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, RABI's trustees decided that the best way forward would be to modernise the whole site to provide accommodation and facilities of the highest standards in line with modern day expectations.


"It was imperative that the character of the home and surrounding gardens should be maintained and, following some 18 months of discussion with the local planning department and English Heritage, we devised a suitable redevelopment which meets all the necessary criteria."

Kier's work schedule has been carefully planned to enable RABI to continue to operate a fully functioning care home with the least possible disturbance to the residents and staff.

On completion of the redevelopment, Manson House will have 31 en suite residential rooms, including some for couples, compared to the current 22 single rooms with mainly shared facilities; and the number of self-contained apartments will be increased from 19 to 23. Access, especially to the upper floors, will be vastly improved, and the home will be equipped with a fully refurbished and redesigned kitchen.

(CD)