Show apartment offers first glimpse of new Turvey retirement village

The show apartment at Elderswell retirement village in Turvey, Bedfordshire, has officially opened, offering a glimpse of what is to come from the £60m later living scheme.

Operated by Iater living specialist Inspired Villages, Elderswell will offer 130 age-appropriate homes, as well as state-of-the-art facilities in the village centre for both the residents and the local community.

The village centre will include a restaurant, café, wellness centre (featuring a fitness studio, gym and Jacuzzi pool), and library. Phase one of construction will see 76 homes and the village centre completed around summer 2022, with construction work carried out by Vistry Partnerships East Midlands.

Elderswell will also feature energy saving ground source heat pumps and solar panels, demonstrating Inspired Villages’ commitment to creating sustainable villages.

Following the opening of the sales suite in November by Mayor of Bedford Dave Hodgson and TV legend Gloria Hunniford, the show apartment opened its doors to the public on Tuesday 15th February.

The two-bedroom show apartment offers a chance for potential residents to get a taste of what to expect when moving to the village. The on-site sales suite also offers visitors a chance to experience life at an Inspired village using virtual tours and interactive tools that allow people to get a bird’s eye view of how the village will look, view floorplans, as well as compare apartments and the distance from village facilities.

James Cobb, Director at Inspired Villages, said: “Elderswell has already proved incredibly popular and will provide much needed age-appropriate housing in the area.

“Things have changed a lot over the past two years and many retirees may be reassessing how they want to spend their later years. Everyone is adjusting to the ‘new normal’ and many over 65s are looking to prioritise elements such as community, wellness and a feeling of security, but most importantly, looking to make the most of later life.

“The new show apartment and sales suite provides the perfect opportunity for visitors to learn more about the 'Inspired way of life’ and see how they can make the most of their retirement.”

The scheme is set to boost the local economy, with the construction phase creating around 50 jobs per annum during the three-year construction programme, with a further 25 operational jobs created on completion.

Andy Reynolds, Managing Director at Vistry Partnerships East Midlands said, “We have extensive experience in designing and constructing later living schemes and we’re very pleased to be working in partnership with Inspired Villages. As one of the country’s leading regeneration specialists we recognise the need to support our partners to build homes across all tenures, particularly specialist accommodation for older people.”