The Papworth Trust’s Foundations for Living project
is “an inspiring example of a scheme which enables
disabled people to live independently in an inclusive
mixed tenure development”, said the judges.

Customer choice was the main driver for building the
scheme of 24-wheelchair accessible homes on three
sites, one of them shared with 22 flats for sale for
able-bodied people, in the centre of Huntingdon.

When consulted about the replacement of their rural
care home in 2001, the residents said they would rather
live in a town with greater independence and not have
to rely on inaccessible public transport to reach leisure
facilities, shops and, perhaps, places of work.

It has been a life-changing experience for many of the
residents who live independently in self-contained flats
with wide corridors and doors, level-access showers,
height adjustable kitchen units, easy-to–access sockets
and alarm/intercom systems, and assistive technology
as required.  

The residents learned to cook at the Saxongate
Community Learning Centre, which adjoins one of the
three sites. Built by the Papworth Trust as part of the
project, it has nine rooms, including two IT suites, an art
room, an accessible kitchen and two rooms with height
adjustable interactive whiteboards, plus staff offices, an
atrium café and a hot-desking area.

The cost of the whole project, excluding the private
flats, was £7.5 million. Of that, £4.3 million came from
the Trust’s reserves, £1.2 million from land sales and
£2 million from fundraising. And it was money well
spent, as far as the judges were concerned. “It is highly
innovative project that demonstrates the ability to
develop full accessible housing with a mix of social and
private for sale housing,” they said. “The design of the
housing scheme has been handled in a way that makes
the athletic challenges of achieving Lifetime Homes a
commercial reality.”