Demolition works have begun to make room for a £15 million project providing “extra care housing” for adults with additional care needs.

Residents have now been moved out of Moreton Close in Mill Hill, which was the site of sheltered housing for the past decade.

Barnet Homes marked their latest new build project this week with a demolition ceremony at the start of the construction of a new dementia-friendly extra care scheme.

The landlord received planning permission from Barnet Council to build 53 self-contained one and two bedroom apartments for the project.

Its aim is to support adults with additional care needs to live independently, as well as helping couples where one partner has increasing care needs to keep living together.

Barnet Council’s Leader Richard Cornelius joined Terry Rogers, chair of the board, and Derek Rust, deputy chief executive of the Barnet Group at the site in Mill Hill.

Leader of Barnet Council Cllr Richard Cornelius said: “I am very excited to see work now progressing with Moreton Close.

“This model of extra care is an excellent way of giving residents the right level of support they need at different points in their lives while helping them maintain their independence.”

Moreton Close is the first of three Extra Care Housing developments planned for the borough as part of wider housing development programme, which will see more than 700 new homes built over the next five years.

Barnet Homes have built 43 brand new family-sized homes and are developing plans for a further 320. These homes will be made available to residents via the council’s housing allocations policy.