A unique retirement community for the over 65s is being proposed with the redevelopment of the Homebase site on Pines Way in Bath.
Members of the local community are being invited to a first round consultation at Bath’s Guildhall on Thursday, May 9th.
Legal & General, through its later living business, acquired the Homebase site in 2018 with the intention of developing this land into a unique retirement community for the over 65s.
Once complete, this will provide much needed age-specific housing to meet the demands of the local area. Legal & General are inviting local residents to offer feedback on its proposed scheme, which will provide lifestyle-led accommodation for older people, with flexible care available as and when required.
They say the consultation process is a great opportunity to hear from the local community at this early stage of the planning process.
A press release continues:
“Legal & General’s later living business was established in August 2017 to help tackle the chronic undersupply of age-specific housing in the UK. Legal & General’s existing later living communities are in rural and suburban locations. The scheme in Bath will be Legal & General’s first later living scheme in an urban environment.
The scheme being proposed for the city centre Homebase site will combine beautiful architecture and interiors with ground-breaking wellness programmes to enable enriched and active lifestyles for its residents. Residents at the proposed later living community will live independently, but within a safe, purpose-built environment with the assurance that there is 24-hour support available if when required.
If brought forward, the scheme has the potential to provide much needed later-living housing for Bath, supporting the needs of the city’s growing older population (over 85s) which is expected to increase by 24% by 2021.
The proposed scheme will offer a unique approach to later-living and will include a nursery bringing together older and younger members of the community. This concept has been developed for Legal & General under the advisement of Professor Malcolm Johnson, who was instrumental in the recent Channel 4 documentary ‘Old People’s Home for 4 year olds’, which saw pre-school children share their classroom with pensioners.
Professor Johnson is currently Visiting Professor of Gerontology and End of Life Care at the University of Bath and has been Professor of Health and Social Policy at the University of Bristol (now Emeritus) since 1995. His work explores the benefits of young and old working and playing together.
A public exhibition on the proposals is to be held at The Guildhall, High Street, Bath, on Thursday 9th May between 2pm and 7pm. Members of the public will be able to discuss the scheme with the project team.”
Be great to see a SOMERSET & DORSET RAILWAY museum on this site somewhere , after all this was the site of the BATH GREEN PARK MOTIVE POWER DEPOT [ Steam engine depot ] . I am a 72 yr old ex-S & D Fireman than was born in BATH that worked on the steam Locomotives at the DEPOT until that and BATH GREEN PARK station closed in MARCH 1966.
Why is everything from office space, student accommodation and now a retirement community described as “much needed”? Is it the developer who decides on this term?
I’d rather have Homebase tbh.
Richard, I suspect that this development won’t include affordable housing for the many Bath pensioners who need age-specific housing but can’t afford the high prices of these types of development. I’ll go along to the consultation and find out! Lesley Hall, B&NES Unison Retired Members Officer.
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