A message from Andrew Adams, Senior Land Manager at Axis Partnership:
Firstly, we hope you are all keeping safe and well in these unprecedented times.
Following our public exhibition back in February we are writing to provide an update about our proposed development for a retirement care village and 50-acre Countryside Park at land between Haverhill Road and Hinton Way, Stapleford.
We are pleased to be able to inform you that our planning application for Stapleford Down retirement village has been Submitted to the Local Planning Authority. The planning application was submitted on the 2nd July and we received acknowledgment of the application being Validated by the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service on 16th July 2020.
The application reference number is 20/02929/OUT and all the documentation is available to view on the South Cambridgeshire District Council website here.
At this outline stage, planning permission is being sought for;
- 50 acres of natural open space
- The parameter plans and spaces for a range of residential with care accommodation (Use Class C2) including apartments and single storey homes, together with a core building with care suites and wellbeing facilities
- Access to the site
We would like to take this opportunity, now that some restrictions are lifted, to offer a ‘socially-distanced’ site visit in small groups in line with Government guidance. We can also explain in person how different this type of accommodation is from a traditional care home and discuss any detailed concerns you may have.
Our public exhibitions in November last year and February earlier this year were very well attended. The feedback we received from the local community was very positive with the majority of those who responded either supportive or neutral of the scheme. At the second exhibition in February where we presented amendments to our plans, following suggestions from the local community, 64% of those who responded were supportive of the scheme and 80% were supportive or neutral.
We think this is an ideal location to locate retirement homes as it’s close to a thriving, existing community, local amenities, services and with direct access to the countryside. We know through studies and industry research that residents typically move to a retirement village from within a 3 mile radius and from 3 & 4 bedroom properties. So, this would suit local people looking to downsize but stay in the area and close to friends and family. In, turn, releasing their family-sized properties back into the local housing market, of which there is a shortage in this local and popular area of South Cambridgeshire.
The type of facility we are proposing is described as a retirement village. This means that it is a range of housing with care that offers care provision adaptable to individual needs and requirements. It is designed to deal with the growing ageing population by providing high quality accommodation along with health and wellbeing activities and surroundings, varying care support from help with shopping and dressing, through to specialist nursing care. This aims to offer couples with different needs the opportunity to live together, providing a social community for those who are alone or feeling isolated, as well as homes for those people who may want to retire, but not retire from life altogether, and whose needs may change over time.
There would also be facilities that can be open for the wider community to benefit from, such as wellness facilities, swimming pool and accessible open space – in this case in the form of a new 50-acre Countryside Park.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us should you have any queries regarding his proposed development.
We look forward to hearing from you.
