Plans for a £10 million redevelopment of Jewish Care buildings in Hendon to provide 32 one- and two-bedroom independent living apartments for older people have been approved by Barnet Council.

The six-storey Ella and Ridley Jacobs home and the adjacent Sam Beckman dementia day care facility were closed at the end of last year with residents and members relocated to a new facility in the charity's Friern Barnet complex.

Although the Hendon site was unsuitable for a modern care home, its proximity to Jewish life made it an attractive location for independent living flats.

The project has been funded by "a generous donation from the Wohl Foundation" and bank borrowing. Work on the redevelopment is expected to start this autumn and the hope is that people will move in by spring 2018.

Jewish Care chief executive Simon Morris noted that "the demand for independent living is growing. The development will ensure we can provide excellent accommodation to older people who want to live independently within a secure community environment."