A new £9million dementia home in Surbiton is set to be designed and built by Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd after the council awarded the contract.

Subject to the consultation and planning permission process, the specialist 80-bed facility for older people is hoped to open on the current Newent House site by 2020.

Roger Forsdyke, managing director of Willmott Dixon in south London and southern Home Counties, said: “We are delighted to be working with Kingston Council to create their new dementia home. We have vast experience working in this sector and look forward to using our skills to create this specialist facility.

“We recently transformed Kingston’s former Magistrates Courts into a new home for the registration service, and have a strong track record working in the surrounding area. We will support the local economy by using local companies wherever possible, leaving a lasting positive legacy within the community.”

There are an estimated 1,500 people in Kingston with dementia, including those under the age of 65, and that number is expected to rise to more than 2,100 by 2027.

Stephen Taylor, director of Adults at the council, said: “With an ageing population in the borough, meeting the needs of people with dementia in Kingston is increasing.

“The council currently relies on the private sector market to provide most of the bed-based care. This state of the art facility will help us provide much needed places for vulnerable people.”

Work on the site is expected to begin by the end of 2018, pending planning approval.