A brief ceremony was held on 8thth July, to mark the start of the construction of five new build flats as an addition to the assisted supporting living home for older people at Pilcher’s Field, Crapstone, owned and operated by the independent Abbeyfield Buckland Monachorum Society Limited (‘ABMS’). The Society currently operates a 10-apartment supported living home in the village of Crapstone and parish of Buckland Monachorum, north of Plymouth.
The first original Abbeyfield Home in the parish opened in 1974, and on completion of the additional flats we the Society will celebrate its 50th anniversary. The current Pilcher’s Field Home was purpose built in 1992 and then re-developed, extended and improved in 2014 to give more space in the apartments and ensuite facilities, together with additional communal space. The construction of the five additional flats will help meet the demand for supported living accommodation for older people in West Devon.
In 1999 the Society bought an adjacent plot of land with a view to increasing the number of available apartments. This part of the project was taken forward 18 years later with the commission of a new building design and planning permission granted. Progress was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the demands on the construction industry immediately afterwards meant that the Society did not have the opportunity to send out tender documentation to potential contractors, apply for grant funding, or put in place agreement for Charity Bank funding until late-2023. The contractor took possession of the site at the end of March 2024 and completion is anticipated in early-2025, when the Society looks forward to sharing the new facility with the local community.
“It is a great achievement that we can meet an increasing demand within our community, in providing assisted supported living in a way to help people live as independently as they can in their own home with a tenancy agreement and at the same time supported in their day-to-day tasks.”
Thanks are due to our advisors and stakeholders that have brought us to this point:
Architect – Robert Benn, RBA Architects
Solicitors – Hannah Madders, GA Solicitors
Grant advisor – Abdul A Ravat, Abbeyfield Living Society (‘ALS’) Head of Development & Relationships
Grant advisor – Judy Mackley
Contractors – Alan Stewart, RM Builders & Contractors Limited
Main grant – Homes England
Supporting grant – West Devon Borough Council
Loan funding – Caroline Sims, Director of Impact Lending, The Charity Bank Limited
“ALS is delighted to support the Abbeyfield Buckland Monachorum Society with this exciting expansion at Pilcher’s Field, which will help to address the critical need for new affordable homes for older people, especially in rural parts of the county. We are pleased to have been able to secure grant funding from Homes England, through our status as an Investment Partner, and to provide ongoing expert advice on how to maximise this opportunity for growth and achieve the best outcomes for the local population. The new apartments will increase the available, tangible options for potential residents and their families as to where they can spend their later life in comfort and security, without the need to move far from the local villages, which will in turn enable them to maintain their existing connections with family and friends in the area.”
"Providing more homes which local people can afford is one of our top priorities. We are delighted to support the extension of Pilcher's Field which will provide more high quality and affordable homes for our older community, an absolute must."
"We are proud to support the Abbeyfield Buckland Monachorum Society in their mission to provide quality supported living for older people. The construction of these new flats is a testament to the Society’s commitment to meet the growing demand in West Devon. At Charity Bank, our mission is to finance projects like Abbeyfield Societies that truly benefit the community. We look forward to seeing the positive impact these new homes will have on the residents and the wider community."