Avery Park on Schedule to Open in 2020
The former site of Satra House on Rockingham Road, Kettering, has been demolished in preparation for Avery Healthcare’s new three-building care and retirement village. Avery Park Care Community will occupy the land previously owned by SATRA, an international product research, testing and supply chain quality provider.
SATRA moved to the Kettering site in 1940 after a bomb blast damaged its laboratories in London and it has been based there ever since. As SATRA Technologies outgrew the original 2.8 acre site, it moved to bigger premises on the Telford Way Industrial Estate in the late 1990s, with the original land and buildings languishing ever since.
Avery is now redeveloping the site to consist of two interlinked buildings; a larger one for residential care and a smaller one to provide specialised support for those living with dementia, comprising 119 en-suite bedrooms in total. The third phase, the original Victorian villa, will be converted into eight assisted living units for retirees. The £12.6m build is due to complete in Autumn 2020, creating a range of 150 new full-time and part time-jobs; it will offer an all-day café, hair salon, therapy spa room, cinema, activities lounge, library, landscaped gardens and parking for 50 cars.
Having been empty for so long the original SATRA buildings had fallen into a substantial state of disrepair. The design and use of the empty site was commended by the local planning committee of Kettering Borough Council (KBC), due to Avery’s retention of the historic Victorian Villa and their willingness to compromise and incorporate requests made by the KBC and local residents.
Adrian Doyle, Director of Developments, commented on the importance of using local suppliers: “Avery always supports the local economy by using local trades professionals and materials suppliers to help deliver the build, supporting the relationship between the company and the local community. We are a renowned healthcare provider with a reputation for delivering high-quality care and services to our residents, in purpose-built state of the art facilities.”
