Newall Close undergoes dementia-friendly redecoration

The communal areas at Newall Close in Otley have been transformed into brighter and more accessible spaces.

Improvements were made across all the blocks of flats, including fresh paint, new flooring and the installation of bright, proximity lighting.

All the work was underpinned by dementia-friendly standards, which focus on making spaces as accessible as possible for those living with dementia. Different coloured feature walls on each floor help residents to easily identify where they are in the building, and the proximity lighting means that as soon as someone enters the building, the lights come on.

The work was delivered by Connect’s Asset Management team and principal contractor CLC, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. It’s also one of the first projects in the county to retrofit an older block of flats with these dementia friendly features.

Residents played a role in the redesign too – they were consulted on the final colour scheme for the communal areas and chose the background colour for their flat’s number plaque. Their input was invaluable in helping to shape the space into the bright and welcoming environment it is now.

Commenting on the project, Richard Ayrton, Senior Manager for Asset Investment, said: “It’s quite exciting, it’s the first time we’ve delivered this kind of work and we’re hoping it makes a difference for people who are living here.”