The largest retirement village in the UK, with restaurants, lochs with water activities and a strong green philosophy, is being planned for Scotland.
The largest retirement village in the UK, with restaurants, lochs with water activities and a strong green philosophy, is being planned for Scotland.
Details have been submitted to East Ayrshire council for the £150m complex, described as an "integrated retirement-themed development" at Galston.
The site, next to the A71, would include a four-star hotel, lochs with activities, retail outlets, a tourist centre, hundreds of homes, nursing facilities and "close-care accommodation".
The company behind the project, Warrington-based Prestigious Retirement Villages, insists it would create "well over" 300 long-term jobs in addition to the initial construction jobs.
A PRV spokesman said: "While not exclusively for over-55s, the facilities, services and accommodation would incorporate all the needs of the elderly.
"These would include restaurants, health and wellness centre, a library, meeting and activity centres and estate maintenance.
"The consequential movement of elderly into the development would free up properties in the area.
"Innovative purchase schemes would be introduced to break the current market deadlock and this would include guaranteed buy-back schemes."
The design, materials and build techniques would be "green" and result in "less use of valuable fuel resources and reduce to a minimum any harm to the environment".
The company admitted that, although the initial response from the nearby community had been encouraging, it would need a groundswell of public and political support to make investment in the project viable.
Scotland's first such retirement village, a collection of 89 flats and homes built exclusively for the over-45s, was set up in Nairn on the Moray Firth in 2005. It was described then as "a new direction in modern country living".
John Ward, chief executive of PRV, said last night: "The village developments that we should have are places to live, whereas most of the other companies are building places where you can die with dignity.
"I know it's quite a crude analogy, but we are very much trying to put across the lifestyle aspects, such as a restaurant and activities which would make life more enjoyable for people and perhaps make their life expectancy longer."
The Joseph Rowntree Trust recently found that retirement villages are valued by residents who cite benefits such as security combined with better chances of preserving a social life.
They can be cheaper for health services, reduce social isolation and improve health, with exercise and catering services promoting activity.
