Work begins on £23m care housing development
Surrey County Council is working with a developer, Places for People, which funded this £23m project, called Meadowcroft Lodge.
The development, which is based in Westborough in Guildford, will provide one and two-bedroom apartments at affordable rental rates.
The county council says the scheme aims to "support older residents to lead active and independent lives in the community" and to "reduce reliance on residential care".
Sinead Mooney, the council's cabinet member for adult social care, said: "It's a pleasure to mark the beginning of this fantastic new development.
"Meadowcroft Lodge will provide a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment where residents can thrive and remain part of the community."
The council says 725 apartments are set to be provided across the county by 2030.
Meadowcroft Lodge, which will also feature a cafe and gardens, is due to see residents move in from early 2027.
Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
More worry about paying for care in later life
Former care home to become net zero housing
Surrey County Council
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Parents complain of overcrowded school buses - kids standing or sitting in the aisles
Angry parents have taken to social media and called Palm Beach County School District offices to express their frustration about crowded buses that have, in some instances, forced students to sit on the floor or stand in the aisle during trips to and from school. One parent posted a brief video on the district's Facebook account showing students standing or crouching in the aisle of a crowded bus. That parent did not respond to a request for comment. Florida law requires seat belts on all school buses purchased after Dec. 31, 2000. The district, which said it has seat belts on all of its buses, appeared to chalk up the transportation concerns to typical early school-year challenges. School district says 'adjustment period' for buses happens every school year "The beginning of every school year is a dynamic period for our Transportation Department," a district spokesman wrote in an email. "Initial bus routes are planned based on students who are registered for transportation. However, as student ridership numbers settle during the first few weeks, we make daily adjustments to our routes. This process is essential to accommodate students who may have recently registered or just began riding the bus." The spokesman added: "This annual adjustment period can lead to temporary instances of overcrowding on some buses. Our transportation team takes all reports of overcrowding very seriously and works diligently to resolve these situations as swiftly as possible by rebalancing routes as ridership stabilizes." Multiple parents have said their child was forced to sit in the aisle or stand on the bus. The Facebook video also showed that not all students on a bus were seated. School district says it has enough bus drivers During a back-to-school press conference with local media on Aug. 8, district officials said the district had enough bus drivers to transport the tens of thousands of students who are bused to and from school. "There is still a nationwide shortage of bus drivers, but I'm happy to say that, just like with teachers, we have our lowest vacancy rate in a long time for our bus drivers," district Chief Operating Officer Joseph Sanches said. "We have 487 bus routes, and right now we currently have 527 drivers. We still have more that we want to hire so that we can cover for those drivers when they're out. But we're in good shape. I just want to assure parents that we're going to have a qualified bus driver for every single route that we have." High school kids too big for fitting 3 in each seat, parent says Many parents, however, have complained about over-crowded buses and long and sometimes fruitless waits on the telephone to get through to anyone at the school district's transportation office. "Please have someone check out the high school bus that picks up Suncoast kids at Haverhill and Nautical Isles Blvd.," one parent wrote under a district Facebook post about signing students up for bus service. "There are more than 10 children without a seat. Every seat has 2 ppl per seat and some squeezing more! They are on the highway standing up/falling down. It's dangerous and not ok." That parent said she called the district's transportation office and was told the office was looking into it "but suggested 3 to a seat is recommended. These are high school kids. Most are 6 ft tall and no way could they fit 3 to a seat!" That the parent got through to the district's transportation office impressed another frustrated parent. "How did you get to speak with someone?" the second parent wrote. "I've waited on hold for hours today and left 2 messages for a return call. They left half our kids at the bus stop this morning and wouldn't come back for them." A third parent said she called a local television station after calling the district and leaving voice messages to complain that her child has to walk 40 minutes to his bus stop. "Tell them if they need more stories there are plenty," a parent responded in the chat. "The (district) person I contacted said it was tough to get enough drivers. I understand that but that doesn't mean cut corners on safety!" The Palm Beach County School District is the 10th largest in the nation and has nearly 190,000 students, many of whom are bused to and from school. Transportation problems at the beginning of the year are not uncommon in this or other districts across the country. The district said that, even though it has a qualified driver for each of its routes, it still has a shortage of 60 drivers. Palm Beach County school bus driver pay lower than surrounding counties Starting pay for bus drivers in the district is $20.65 per hour. Martin County school bus driver pay starts at $21.85 per to $26.65 per hour. Starting pay for bus drivers in Broward County is $21 per hour. Miami-Dade lists its annual school bus driver pay at $22,114. Each of the districts offer sign-on bonuses ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on experience and licensing. While the school district works to bring in more drivers, it is reminding parents that they can help ease early school year problems by registering their students for school transportation. Each student who takes the bus must be registered. Parents can also use the district's "Here Comes the Bus" website and app to get notifications when their child's bus is arriving. Want more education news? Sign up for ourExtra Credit weekly newsletter, delivered every Friday! Wayne Washington is a journalist covering education for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@ Help support our work; subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Overcrowded Palm Beach County school buses: Kids sit, stand in aisles Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Parents complain of overcrowded Palm Beach County school buses - kids standing, sitting in aisles
Angry parents have taken to social media and called Palm Beach County School District offices to express their frustration about crowded buses that have, in some instances, forced students to sit on the floor or stand in the aisle during trips to and from school. One parent posted a brief video on the district's Facebook account showing students standing or crouching in the aisle of a crowded bus. That parent did not respond to a request for comment. Florida law requires seat belts on all school buses purchased after Dec. 31, 2000. The district, which said it has seat belts on all of its buses, appeared to chalk up the transportation concerns to typical early school-year challenges. School district says 'adjustment period' for buses happens every school year "The beginning of every school year is a dynamic period for our Transportation Department," a district spokesman wrote in an email. "Initial bus routes are planned based on students who are registered for transportation. However, as student ridership numbers settle during the first few weeks, we make daily adjustments to our routes. This process is essential to accommodate students who may have recently registered or just began riding the bus." The spokesman added: "This annual adjustment period can lead to temporary instances of overcrowding on some buses. Our transportation team takes all reports of overcrowding very seriously and works diligently to resolve these situations as swiftly as possible by rebalancing routes as ridership stabilizes." Multiple parents have said their child was forced to sit in the aisle or stand on the bus. The Facebook video also showed that not all students on a bus were seated. School district says it has enough bus drivers During a back-to-school press conference with local media on Aug. 8, district officials said the district had enough bus drivers to transport the tens of thousands of students who are bused to and from school. "There is still a nationwide shortage of bus drivers, but I'm happy to say that, just like with teachers, we have our lowest vacancy rate in a long time for our bus drivers," district Chief Operating Officer Joseph Sanches said. "We have 487 bus routes, and right now we currently have 527 drivers. We still have more that we want to hire so that we can cover for those drivers when they're out. But we're in good shape. I just want to assure parents that we're going to have a qualified bus driver for every single route that we have." High school kids too big for fitting 3 in each seat, parent says Many parents, however, have complained about over-crowded buses and long and sometimes fruitless waits on the telephone to get through to anyone at the school district's transportation office. "Please have someone check out the high school bus that picks up Suncoast kids at Haverhill and Nautical Isles Blvd.," one parent wrote under a district Facebook post about signing students up for bus service. "There are more than 10 children without a seat. Every seat has 2 ppl per seat and some squeezing more! They are on the highway standing up/falling down. It's dangerous and not ok." That parent said she called the district's transportation office and was told the office was looking into it "but suggested 3 to a seat is recommended. These are high school kids. Most are 6 ft tall and no way could they fit 3 to a seat!" That the parent got through to the district's transportation office impressed another frustrated parent. "How did you get to speak with someone?" the second parent wrote. "I've waited on hold for hours today and left 2 messages for a return call. They left half our kids at the bus stop this morning and wouldn't come back for them." A third parent said she called a local television station after calling the district and leaving voice messages to complain that her child has to walk 40 minutes to his bus stop. "Tell them if they need more stories there are plenty," a parent responded in the chat. "The (district) person I contacted said it was tough to get enough drivers. I understand that but that doesn't mean cut corners on safety!" The Palm Beach County School District is the 10th largest in the nation and has nearly 190,000 students, many of whom are bused to and from school. Transportation problems at the beginning of the year are not uncommon in this or other districts across the country. The district said that, even though it has a qualified driver for each of its routes, it still has a shortage of 60 drivers. Palm Beach County school bus driver pay lower than surrounding counties Starting pay for bus drivers in the district is $20.65 per hour. Martin County school bus driver pay starts at $21.85 per to $26.65 per hour. Starting pay for bus drivers in Broward County is $21 per hour. Miami-Dade lists its annual school bus driver pay at $22,114. Each of the districts offer sign-on bonuses ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on experience and licensing. While the school district works to bring in more drivers, it is reminding parents that they can help ease early school year problems by registering their students for school transportation. Each student who takes the bus must be registered. Parents can also use the district's "Here Comes the Bus" website and app to get notifications when their child's bus is arriving. Want more education news? Sign up for ourExtra Credit weekly newsletter, delivered every Friday! Wayne Washington is a journalist covering education for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@ Help support our work; subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Overcrowded Palm Beach County school buses: Kids sit, stand in aisles Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
8 hours ago
- Forbes
Our Communications Have A Credibility Problem
Jennifer Best is the head of marketing for AmICredible, the smart platform where credibility starts with you. If the potential for misinformation makes you not want to read anything online, you aren't alone. A 2024 Pew Research report noted that 40% of Americans who get their information online say inaccuracy is the aspect they dislike the most, a number that's increased nearly 31% over the past five years. For the better part of a decade, we're increasingly aware that misinformation and disinformation exist, yet few understand the difference. Misinformation, or the inadvertent spreading of false or misleading information, is typically when people don't realize they are sharing something false. Its more sinister counterpart is disinformation, when a blatant and coordinated attempt to confuse and mislead is malicious and intentional. These challenges are leading to an erosion of our trust in media and online news platforms. A 2023 study from the University of Southern California found that frequent, habitual users on Facebook forwarded six times more fake news than occasional or new users. Once false information spreads, it's much harder to control or limit. The Online Credibility Conundrum The internet thrives on sensationalism, not credibility. Online platforms prioritize content that gets a lot of engagement (clicks, shares and comments) regardless of how factually accurate it might be. After all, doing so is good for business; it keeps users engaged, stock prices climbing and board members happy. But it does little to stem the spread of misinformation, not to mention that it's not always easy to differentiate legitimate news from clickbait. You might be asking yourself, 'Is everything I read online false or misleading?' No, but based on the research, odds are that there is misinformation in your news and social feeds right now. Nearly 80% of Americans are concerned that the information they see online is fake, false or a deliberate attempt to confuse people. You're definitely not alone. While some may be quick to blame recent advancements with artificial intelligence (and there are plenty of challenges there to choose from), the reality is this: The Internet Age democratized the sharing of content, giving writers the opportunity to create and publish what they believe is an authoritative piece of content and maximize its visibility, regardless of factuality or truth. The internet leveled the playing field for online content creators. This is when the sharing of misinformation online began—not with the launch of social media or recent advancements with AI, although both of these have perpetuated the spread of misinformation. The problem has now become too large to ignore. Communications In The Era Of Misinformation As communications professionals, we know much of our professional value lies in our ability to be influential. Our corporate reputation becomes our personal brand, and it's how we present ourselves in public, speak to the media and make the case for investment when budgets are tight. When we speak publicly either for ourselves or our organizations, we need to do so with great authenticity, empathy and credibility. What we say demonstrates our values and contributes to the larger narrative. Getting it right can make a career; getting it wrong can send stock prices tumbling. Trust is the new currency of the workplace. It's won and lost, and you always have room for more. You can't be successful without it, especially in corporate communications. Changing The Narrative More professionals are taking notice of the importance of the quality of and credibility in communications. The Oxford-GlobeScan Global Corporate Affairs 2025 Survey Report reflects its increased importance. Whether you are speaking on behalf of an organization or for your personal brand, here's how to start changing the status quo and to bring trust back to the table. • If it seems too outrageous to be true, be skeptical. Question everything. Before sharing, check several reputable sources and use tools and platforms to help you identify potential blind spots and verify factuality and credibility. • Stop, look and listen. Stop and take a moment before you do anything. There is great power in the pause. Firing off one reactive and rushed comment on social media can sideline a career. Look closely at what you're posting and read it through before you even consider sharing. Even the majority of influencers don't verify what they share. Verify your claims and content with reputable sites. • If you spot misinformation, report it. Whether you choose to question or inform the person who posted it, or report misinformation to the online platform directly, you have an opportunity to help solve this challenge. The only way we bring trust and credibility back to our online conversations is by making small, incremental changes. Rather than ignoring the problem, we each need to become part of the solution. Nothing changes if nothing changes. The next time you read something that seems too good to be true, you know what to do. Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
