Retirement village set for town centre
SITE OF HALFORDS AND WICKES EARMARKED BY DEVELOPER
THE Uxbridge town centre Halfords and Wickes site could be redeveloped as a retirement village.
A new “later living community” has been proposed by insurance company Legal & General subsidiary Guild Living.
Legal & General has bought the site off Harefield Road, behind Uxbridge Police Station, which is currently used by Halfords and Wickes.
The 2.3 acre area has been earmarked for the company’s first retirement development in London, which is estimated to be a £130 million project.
The community would have a focus on “active, independent living”, for over-70s, with help provided for well-being and longterm needs.
By basing themselves in a town centre, near shops and transport links, the developers hope residents will be able to maintain their independence for longer. The site is also near scenic Uxbridge Common to provide a healthy area of outdoor space.
A children’s nursery, gym and wellness centre and landscaped gardens will form part of the development, although the number of homes for the elderly have not yet been revealed by the group.
Guild Living says there is demand locally for the development, with a third of the Hillingdon’s population – more than 78,000 people – aged 50 or over at the 2011 Census.
Although London is considered a young city, there are more than 1.1 million Londoners over the age of 65 according to Age UK, a figure which is expected to rise by 86% in the next 30 years.
A public consultation by the developers has been launched this week, with a number of webinars next week expected to provide more details about the scheme and allow locals to ask questions about the development.
Today (Wednesday), there will be an introduction to Guild Living, with an explanation of its approach the following day.
On July 1 there will be a question and answer session with the community. All sessions can be registered for online and will run from 6pm to 7pm.
Eugene Marchese, co-founder and director at Guild Living, said: “There is a clear and growing need for age-appropriate housing, both in London and across the UK.
“Our ambition is to create communities that are safe and secure so local people can live and maintain their local links while protecting their independence.
“We want to de-stigmatise this market by providing a different kind of product that uses academic research to tailor its wellbeing and care offering.
“Uxbridge is a thriving town and an amazing local community, and we are excited to work with the council and the community to bring forward proposals that add to the local area.”