The £28.25m project will comprise a care facility, children’s day nursery and 45 retirement apartments in a leafy conservation area setting close to the village of Lymm and adjacent to the Trans Pennine Trail.
Funding from Puma Finance and Octopus will enable the multi-generation development to be built on the site of the former Lymm Hotel on Whitbarrow Road in Lymm, Cheshire.
The scheme has been designed by the McGoff Group and will be delivered by principal contractor McGoff Construction. It aims to be a new concept in inter-generational living, bringing young and old together to form a ‘hyperlocal’ community with health, social and wellbeing benefits for all.
All aspects of the development will also be operated by the McGoff Group’s care home business, New Care, which will take responsibility for the 66-bed care home.
The nursery will be operated by the group’s Back to the Garden day nursery arm. It will be the second site in the UK for the nursery concept, which focuses on active learning and outdoor play in a garden setting. The first site is in Broadheath, Altrincham.
Finally, the McGoff Group’s residential brand Villafont will deliver the 45 retirement apartments under a new sub-brand, Villafont Concierge. The apartments are aimed at those looking for a luxury property with the option for elements of domestic support to enable continued independent living.
The overall site is designed to offer the potential for old and young to spend time in each other’s company on a regular basis. Aims include developing an increased understanding and appreciation of each other’s abilities and limitations, building tolerance and compassion and helping the elderly remain more mentally and physically alert.
McGoff Group director Chris McGoff said: “A development like this is something that we have wanted to do for a long time and a concept that we believe passionately in. Thanks to the finance from Puma and Octopus, it can now take shape. We are excited to see how it becomes part of the local community and hope it can set a new blueprint for future schemes.”
He added: “Adjacent to the canal and next to an entry onto the Pennine Trail and with lovely woodland views, the leafy position of this site will appeal to all target age groups and will be perfect for young and old to enjoy.”
Beyond Corporate provided advice on the real estate, planning, construction, corporate and financing aspects of the transaction. Completion of the funding and the start of works on site marked the end of four years’ work involving input from several teams within the firm. Lead partner James Flynn said: “This project has shown how joint venture deals can be constructed to allow landowners to unlock value in brownfield sites that are no longer suitable for their existing uses. It has been fantastic to see the McGoff Group team up with Macdonald Hotels to identify the concept for this site and then ultimately deliver the project, particularly given the current challenging conditions, and the whole team at Beyond is very pleased to have played its part in helping to deliver this scheme.”
Planning permission has already been granted and groundworks at the development are under way. McGoff Group anticipates a completion date of October 2022 for the nursery, November 2022 for the care home and December 2022 for the apartments.
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