A new residential care home in Whitehaven will be officially opened on Thursday.

Residents at The Gables in Hensingham have already settled in to their new home and a ribbon cutting ceremony will mark the occasion.

Cumbria County Council has invested £6m into the facility which has replaced four care homes across Copeland.

Councillor Patricia Bell, cabinet member for health and care services, said: “Now everyone is settled into their new, state-of-the-art residence, it’s great that we can mark the occasion with an official opening celebration.

“The Gables provides a wonderful home for residents to live and incorporates beautiful spaces into the building design to meet their needs. Residents in ground-floor bedrooms can access the gardens, landscaped paths and planting areas safely and easily direct from their rooms, whilst first floor residents have access to an external balcony and communal lounge, with views over the local area, as well as lift access to downstairs.

“The facility is dementia-friendly, spacious, light and airy, with modern standards, high-spec technology and state-of-the-art equipment. The Gables has been a great example of excellent team work between Cumbria County Council’s Capital Programme Team, Cumbria Care Team and the contractors Eric Wright Construction Ltd. They have created a setting to meet the needs of the residents, the staff and the demands of the service area to create a fantastic facility for the local community.”

During the event there will be music from Cockermouth Ukuleles and High Tea made by the home cooks.

The council’s chairman, Christine Bowditch, will cut the ribbon and council leader Stewart Young will attend alongside Coun Bell and local political figures.

The Gables, on the former Sekers site, is one of two new Cumbria Care residential homes completed in 2019, the other home is Burnrigg Court in Carlisle.

Construction has been carried out by Eric Wright Construction on behalf of the council.

Managing director John Wilson said: “This is a superb facility for Cumbria and we are very proud to have been involved in the delivery of both The Gables and Bunrigg Court. The building design used on both projects provides a brilliant place to work for staff and a fantastic place to live for residents.”

The 60-bed care home replaces four older ones in the area: Dentholme, Castle Mount, Pow Beck and Brackenthwaite

The opening takes place between 2.30pm and 4.30pm.