Two dementia villages inspired by the Dutch Hogeweyk model are planned for the Scottish Borders.

The plans for two £11 million sites in Hawick and Tweedbank are being developed by Scottish Borders Council in partnership with Dementia Services Development Centre at Stirling University.

A spokesperson for Scottish Borders Council said: “The care village model proposal for the Borders has been developed taking into account various models of care and best practice, with Hogeweyk being just one that we have considered. Another is the work of the Dementia Services Development Centre at Stirling University who we have commissioned to support us with the design of the building so we can gain the most benefit from their research and expertise.

“Importantly we need to ensure we are meeting the needs of the people of the Borders. The care villages will be home to a number of clients with varying and very different needs and we are keen that the designs will ensure flexibility of use both now and in the future. Community engagement has and will continue to be undertaken with all stakeholders within each locality throughout this process. This includes working with people with lived experience of dementia as their views are critical to help to inform our local thinking and planning.”

Plans for an £11.2m 60-bed, care village at a site on Guthrie Road in the Stirches area of Hawick were endorsed by councillors in January.

The village will replace the town’s Deanfield Care Home and be delivered in partnership with Eildon Housing.

A similar development in Tweedbank would replace Waverley Care Home and Garden View Intermediate Care.

The plans evolved after the council visited a dementia village in the Netherlands in 2020.