Ambitious £40m scheme to 'rejuvenate' retirement village set for approval

A £40 million scheme designed to enhance the Avonpark retirement complex near Bradford on Avon looks like it will get the green light from Wiltshire planners.

The Retirement Villages Group seeks permission to replace the vacant 85-bed care buildings with 74 sustainable new retirement apartments in Winsley.

Avonpark is currently home to 82 retirees but parts of the site require rejuvenation and significant investment.

The scheme will create modern communal facilities for residents, including a shop, restaurant, bar, social spaces for meetings, a craft room, library, studio, wellbeing therapy/treatment room, salon, lounge and staff offices.

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It will also deliver extensive landscaping including a courtyard, quiet garden, physic garden, growing zone (including allotments and edible gardens) and an official size croquet lawn, alongside new outdoor seating and terraces.

The proposal also includes delivery of more than 150 solar panels to generate on-site renewable energy; electric vehicle charging points; and lush planting and new habitats to deliver a 33 per cent biodiversity net gain within the village grounds.

Jack Stirling, development manager at Retirement Villages Group, based in London, said: “Our significant investment plans will secure the long-term future of Avonpark as a thriving retirement community.

“Parts of the village are in great need of rejuvenation. The considered vision we’ve put forward will not only deliver new homes for retirees alongside diverse communal facilities but will unlock substantial environmental benefits as we make the community more sustainable.

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“We’ve worked extensively with the council to ensure our plans to replace existing buildings at Avonpark are high-quality and take inspiration from local architectural character.

“It’s really encouraging to see that councillors are recommended to approve the plans, which would pave the way for extensive revitalisation of the community.”

Following consultation, the group submitted plans to take down the Alexander Heights and Fountains Place buildings that closed in 2021 – once used as a care home but now standing empty – and replace them with modern and sustainable new retirement homes.

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Wiltshire Council’s western area planning committee will consider the planning application on Wednesday, May 8 with officers recommending councillors give the investment plan the green light.

The application details how the company’s investment would also unlock new jobs and a range of social and economic benefits, including 76 full-time equivalent jobs during construction and 23 on completion.

The scheme could give a £6.8 million boost to the economy during construction and an extra £175,000 in council tax each year.

If approved, it is anticipated that initial work could start on site by late 2024.

Cllr Johnny Kidney, Wiltshire Council ward member for Winsley and Westwood, welcomed the investment.

He said: "Avonpark makes an important contribution to the wider Winsley community and there is undoubtedly a need to invest to ensure a sustainable future for the retirement village and facilities that meet the needs of residents.

"The setting of Avonpark is a very sensitive one, however, occupying a prominent position within one of most important landscapes in Wiltshire.

"Given the potential impacts on this important landscape setting, the redevelopment plans have been referred to committee to ensure they are given close scrutiny in the context of a public meeting, with an opportunity for all parties to provide input as the plans are considered.

"It will also be very important to ensure that any future redevelopment work is carefully managed to take into account the comfort and wellbeing of existing residents of Avonpark and those of the surrounding area."