Exley Head builder Stephen Walkden had so much trouble finding a top-quality nursing home for his mother that he decided to open his own.

Two years ago his family business, Victorguard, opened Laurel Bank at Wilsden, and this week celebrated the opening of the prestigious new £1 million-plus Beeches Nursing Home at Wibsey, Bradford.

Both homes are owned by Stephen and wife Joanne, and Joanne's parents Barrie and Jacqueline Eardley.

The first phase of the Beeches consists of 24 beds, which are already fully-booked. The accommodation will be completed later this year and is expected to be fully open in mid-November.

It will feature 60 beds, mainly in single rooms, all with en-suite facilities, and will have three lounges and a restaurant with panoramic views.

Over 80 staff will ultimately be employed at the Beeches.

Councillor Jack Womersley, who formally opened the home on Friday, said it was a pleasure to see a nursing home of such high standard.

As a fire officer for 30 years he had seen many which had been converted from unsuitable buildings of the wrong design.

"I hope this will be a flagship home for the rest of Yorkshire and Humberside to follow, and be a real home from home for its residents," he said.

Stephen's own building firm carried out the construction work, and Keighley companies and suppliers have been involved all along. Architects were Gelder and Kitchen, accountants Horwath Clark Whitehill and solicitors Burr Sugden.

The home, one of the biggest and best-equipped in the Bradford area, is expected to be one of the first in the country to achieve the new Secured by Design accreditation for its security features.

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