Mill Rise Village

How managing multiple stakeholder relationships helped a complex development become a successful reality

The award-winning development scheme at Mill Rise embodies Prime’s spirit of making things happen and highlights how partnership working can lead to transformational results for local communities.

Mill Rise Village in Newcastle-Under-Lyme combines primary care services, with extra care housing for the over 55s – the first facility of its kind outside London.

As part of a collaborative process, Prime helped to deliver the vision of a place to live, work and enjoy independent living at Mill Rise Village. The success of the development is the result of eight partner organisations working towards a shared vision – to enrich the lives of residents in two communities hit hard by the economic downturn.

With high levels of deprivation, Knutton and Cross Health in Newcastle-under-Lyme were communities in need of improved health and social care services and extra care housing facilities that cater for the changing needs of an ageing population.

Along with the partnership, Prime was committed to delivering facilities that enabled older people within the community to retain their independence for as long as possible, with the reassurance that services and support were close at hand when they needed them.

The outcome of this successful development is 60 one and two bedroom extra care apartments, a primary care centre with a restaurant, cafe, hairdresser, pharmacy and a piazza area, giving the communities of Knutton, Milehouse, Cross Heath and surrounding areas much-needed purpose-built healthcare facilities and a new housing option for older people.

Prime played a fundamental role in the partnership, supporting partner organisations to work collectively. Our experience of sourcing and managing development funding was also vital in providing a contract structure that was acceptable to all and collating the seven different funding sources – including grant, capital and revenue from private finance and public sector borrowing.

As acknowledgement of such an outstanding partnership, the development went on to receive five awards, including the ‘UK’s most outstanding Extra Care Scheme’ in 2009.