With construction of the new 60 bed care home at The Moat House nearing completion, it has been announced the opening will lead to 40 new jobs.

The news will bring a welcome boost to the local economy with the East of England one of only three regions where unemployment rose in June.

The Moat House is a long-established care home, currently housed in an 18th century rectory, on the fringes of Great Easton, near Great Dunmow. Owner Retirement Villages Ltd has built a multi-million pound new care home on the 10 acre site. The new home has 60 bedrooms and a range of communal facilities for use by residents, staff and guests. It will offer residential, nursing and dementia care under one roof.

Residents of the current Moat House will be moved to the new building over the summer and new residents will be welcomed from September. The current staff, totalling 31, will transfer to the new home and a further 15 jobs will be created immediately including nursing, care and support staff. More vacancies will arise as residents move in.

“The opening of The Moat House will be a significant boost for the area – both in terms of the care provision it offers and the boost to the local economy through employment opportunities and use of local service industries,” said Paul Walsh, the Managing Director of Care and Operations for Retirement Villages Ltd. “The Moat House is an established part of the community and we hope the enhanced offering will prove beneficial to that community.”

Work on the site has taken around a year with Saffron Walden MP Sir Alan Haslehurst laying the foundation stone last autumn.