Pictured: (l-r) Matt Breakwell (Cornbrook Construction), Jane Welsman-Jones, Les Jones (both Bradeney House) and Nick Skidmore (Cornbrook Construction)

A leading South Shropshire construction company is celebrating after it completed the biggest project in its eight-year history.

Cornbrook Construction has finished the £4.4m refurbishment and extension of Bradeney House Care Home in Worfield, providing much need high quality care provision in the county.

Employing 35 local people, the company has taken just twenty months to oversee the contract, which has seen the original Georgian building extended to feature a specialist dementia unit, an additional 58 new bedrooms and new day rooms.

The project - carried out in two phases to allow the care home to continue to operate - has combined traditional techniques with modern construction and also involved the installation of a new laundry and state-of-the-art commercial kitchen.

"We are delighted to be handing over the newly refurbished Bradeney House, explained Matt Breakwell, Managing Director at Cornbrook.

"At just over £4.4m, it is the largest project we have completed and certainly one of the most complicated we've undertaken."

He continued: "'Phase A' of the project involved demolishing part of the existing building and creating 19 new bedrooms and new day rooms. The new element of the extension had to integrate with the original Georgian building, which was converted from two to three storeys by gutting the internal structure and fitting new floors and staircases.

'Phase B', which was started in November 2010, has focused on the construction of a second, 40-bedroom extension to Bradeney House and it is this section that features the dedicated dementia unit, themed corridors and special day rooms.

Due to the size of the project, Cornbrook had to upgrade the entire site infrastructure, with new electricity and mains water supplies and a sewage treatment plant. 

New nurse call stations, kitchens, laundry and lift were incorporated, along with a fantastic steel framed vaulted roof conservatory. The new extension was then rendered to match the existing Georgian building and terraces constructed to create a paved courtyard with striking stone balustrade.

Les Jones, who runs Bradeney House with his wife Jane Welsman-Jones, was delighted with the end result:

"I've done enough developments to know a good builder from a bad one and can safely say that Cornbrook is without doubt the best building firm I've worked with.

"From the Directors to the site manager and apprentices, they all shared the same passion as we did for the project and that has been reflected in the attention to detail and quality of work.

"They have also worked closely with the architects to adapt and incorporate design changes into the programme as the project developed considerably from its original proposal."

Set in seven acres of garden and parkland, Bradeney House offers high quality care for the elderly that encourages them to lead an active and fulfilling lifestyle.

A highly trained team of nurses and care staff are led by the management team of Les and Jane, who between them have more than 27 years of experience running care homes.

The latest project - the largest they've ever completed - will provide a combination of 97 single, single ensuite and companion rooms, all individually decorated and equipped with essential facilities.

Specialist care can now be provided for dementia patients with the dedicated unit offering themed areas that will help trigger memories and stimulate interaction with other residents.

The expansion work will also create 35 new jobs to add to the existing 68-strong workforce.

Les concluded: "We believe that Bradeney House offers the best provision anywhere in Shropshire and this latest extension puts us in an ideal place to care for more local people."

Cornbrook offers complete building services thanks to an in-house team of highly skilled craftspeople, ranging from drainage and groundwork specialists to plumbers and even carpet fitters.

It is currently working on projects in commercial, education, industry, leisure and residential sectors.