Independent care home operator Parklands Care Homes is to build 11 homes on a site at Milton of Leys after plans were approved by the Highland Council.

The later living village will form part of a new care hub planned by Parklands which includes a 59-bed care home and a playgroup for local children.

The two-bedroom bungalows will offer a separate living room, kitchen/dining room, sun room and a private patio area. Each home will have its own landscaped gardens and private parking bay. The development will also offer visitor parking.

The later living village is designed to act as a bridge between independent living and the care home sector, with residents enjoying access to shared services and social activities with the care home.

Parklands will maintain the landscaped grounds and oversee house maintenance, bin collection and laundry services.

The project will go out to tender in the summer with construction of the care home and later living village scheduled to begin this autumn.

The later living village concept is a first for Parklands which operates eight residential care homes in Moray and Highland. A new 40 bed care home is set to open in Fortrose this month.

Ron Taylor, managing director of Parklands Care Homes, said: “The care sector is evolving and the way we deliver care is changing as people live longer and lead more independent lives. Our new later living village will act as a bridge between the traditional model of residential care and the relatively new concept of later living care, where residents live independently but can access shared services, giving them added peace of mind.

“This is an exciting new direction for Parklands and a model we could conceivably develop elsewhere.”

He added: “This year will also see us begin work on a new care home for Inverness, an integral part of our new care hub. It will be our biggest ever investment and signals our strong commitment to the Highlands. Together with our new care home in Fortrose opening this month, this investment will substantially increase care provision in the Inner Moray Firth area.”