Work has begun to build a £19m 'care village' on the edge of Norwich - to help the increasing number of people in the county who have dementia.

Construction work is underway on care company NorseCare's 80-bed specialist dementia care home and 92-apartment housing with care scheme at part of the Three Score site at Bowthorpe.

NorseCare, which is owned by Norfolk County Council, struck a deal with Norwich City Council for a 2.3 hectare patch of land at the site to build the care village, which will create 118 jobs.

In 2010, there were an estimated 13,236 people in Norfolk with dementia, but health experts have predicted that figure will rise to 24,204 by 2030.

Karen Knight, managing director at NorseCare, said: 'To see work on the care village beginning is very exciting. The new care village is going to help so many people living with dementia and needing care when it opens in 2016.'

Sue Whitaker, chairman of the adult social care committee at Norfolk County Council, said: 'The care village will provide the kind of accommodation and support we know we will need more of in Norfolk in coming years.

'The specially designed buildings will provide the space, rooms and layout designed to help staff provide the best possible care and give people living there a really good quality of life.'

The building work will be celebrated at an event today, where the future of Three Score apart from the care home, will be highlighted.

Outline planning permission for the 32-hectare site also includes 1,000 homes, open space and community facilities.

The city council's cabinet recently agreed a concept plan for what is known as phase 2 - a 176 unit housing development.

That would be on land next to the housing with care scheme and would need to secure planning permission before work could start.

Brenda Arthur, leader of Norwich City Council, said: 'Three Score is a hugely important site for the city and its success relies on the effective collaboration with the Homes and Communities Agency and other partners involved.

'The start of construction work means that we are realising our plans for a robust and sustainable means of delivering and funding homes well into the future.'

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