Sanctuary Group is developing 33 apartments at the Sutton Road site in a £4.8m scheme, supported by investment from the Homes and Communities Agency.

The development is being built by Sanctuary's contractors UK Construction Ltd and on completion, will replace Chalkwell Lodge, an existing supported living scheme in Westcliff-on-Sea.

National mental health charity Richmond Fellowship currently runs Chalkwell Lodge and will also manage the new scheme in Sutton Road, which will have more specialised facilities, as well as one wheelchair standard apartment, communal areas for residents, office space and staff accommodation.

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Sanctuary hosted a special event to formally mark the start of construction at Sutton Road, with those involved in the project invited along to view the plans for the development and have a first-hand look at the site itself. This included representatives from Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Richmond Fellowship as well as service user Paul Mills, a current resident at Chalkwell Lodge.

Councillor Margaret Borton dug the first spade into the ground to celebrate the start of work at the site.

Chris Cole, Sanctuary's head of development, east and south east, said: "This development is set to provide much-needed supported accommodation for Southend and we are pleased to be working closely with Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to deliver this.

"The bespoke design of the apartments and the communal facilities will ensure that residents can live independently in a safe and secure environment with the care they need on hand."

(CD)