Fessey House – the care home run by Swindon Borough Council in Haydon Wick – is ready to receive extra residents who will move from Whitbourne House.

The council is closing down Whitbourne House in Park South because the building is no longer fit for purpose and the extension at Fessey House has been built to take in 29 new residents.

The £3m project, which came in under budget, will provide modern facilities for the residents who live there with each room having its own letterbox and door number to provide a homely feel, while each floor has its own new lounge area and kitchen.

Mayor of Swindon Garry Perkins, council leader David Renard and their fellow Haydon Wick councillor John Jackson were at the ribbon cutting led by the cabinet member for adults and health Brian Ford.

Coun Ford said: “The new extension is a wonderful addition to Fessey House and will mean we can continue to provide care to those people who need our help.

“Just walking around the care home you can see the attention to detail to ensure our residents are as comfortable as possible. The new dementia-friendly gardens will also create a peaceful, calm environment for our residents.

“The sign as you enter the reception says ‘Welcome to our home’ and that is the environment the staff and our contractor have worked so hard to create.”

The garden at Fessey House has been redesigned to make it dementia friendly and now includes an infinity path and sensory areas. The new wing. which has transformed it into a 68-bed facility, has solar panels on the roof and two electric vehicle charging points.