Our Proposals
Churchill Retirement Living’s vision is to deliver a retirement living development which takes full advantage of the well-connected location.
The current proposals comprise 40 apartments for retirement living alongside 14 car parking spaces, communal amenities and outdoor space. The proposal also includes parking and storage for mobility buggies to aid residents make sustainable journeys in the local area.
All developments by Churchill Retirement Living include an internal Owner’s Lounge as well as high quality external amenity space designed for passive exercise and the visual enjoyment of residents over 60 years of age, rather than active recreational uses. Planting is considered for longevity, colour all year, seasonal change, maintenance and local native biodiversity.
Landscaping
Considerable care has been taken to evolve a site layout that retains the protected trees on the site’s North and East boundaries which will provide an important and established screen of the proposed development for those residents living at The Minnells and Dale Avenue respectively.
Much of the landscaping to the north fronting Keymer Road will be retained with a small area cleared in order to establish a new site access while retaining a strong landscaped boundary along the site’s frontage. This new access has been strategically placed so as to not impact any of the protected trees along Keymer Road.
While there will be the removal of some planting within the central area of the site, this is largely planting that has been historically used to divide private gardens and does not include any protected trees. Churchill are also working closely with a landscaping consultant to ensure the most appropriate landscaping solutions are provided on site. This includes the planting of native and evergreen tree species.
Artist's interpretation of the proposed building in the context of Keymer Road
Local need for additional retirement living communities
Within the Council’s Local Development Plan, there are a number of policies identifying the critical need for developing and retaining housing specialised to accommodate older people. This need for specialist housing in the district is reflected in the 2021 Office for National Statistics Data, whereby there has been an increase of 24.5% of people aged 65 years and over, between 2011 and 2021. More notably, there has been an increase of 51% in people aged 70-74.
In addition to this, in 2020 Mid-Sussex District Council published a Housing for Older People Topic Paper. This topic paper delves into the current and future need of providing specialised accommodation for older people. It is estimated that in 2031 there will be a need for 1,499 units of C3 sheltered housing, and specifically 651 units of open-market accommodation.
In October 2021, Mid-Sussex District Council published their latest Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA). This report identifies there is expected to be an overall population growth of 33,000 people by 2038, with 14,000 of this being people over the age of 65 years. This equates to people aged 65 accounting for 42.5% of the total projected population change between 2021 and 2038. The SHMA also identifies a need for around 800 housing units specifically for older persons.
Therefore, in light of the above, it is clear that Mid-Sussex District Council has a significant current and future un-met need for specialist accommodation for older persons, to which this proposal will cater to.
Car Parking
The typical age profile of those currently living at a Churchill Retirement community is an 80-year old widow. Generally, 50% of residents also come from within a 5-mile radius of the location. Given the above, residents of Churchill communities tend to not have cars.
It is also generally found that those who do initially have cars tend to give them up soon after moving into a lodge as they no longer need it given the sustainable location and neighbourly living environment.
The proposal includes 40 retirement apartments and 14 unallocated parking spaces in addition to secure cycle and mobility scooter parking.
As retirement living is a very different operational use than residential apartments or care homes, Churchill have developed an evidence base of research undertaken across several existing Churchill Retirement developments.
This research has shown that Churchill’s existing sites typically have a parking demand of 0.28 spaces per apartment. As such the parking demand is forecast to be in the region of 11.42 parking spaces.
However, on this site Churchill is proposing 14 parking spaces at a ratio of 0.354 spaces per apartment.
Given this exceeds the forecast parking demand, it is likely to exceed the need for parking at any given time and is therefore considered to be appropriate, especially given the connected and sustainable location providing a wide range of everyday services within a short walk from the site.
Proposed Site Plan
Proposed site plan
A wide range of benefits
Much research has been undertaken on the benefits of purpose-built retirement communities in our town centres and Churchill’s proposals for Hassocks will make a significant contribution in terms of social, economic and environmental benefits, including:
Supporting Local Businesses
The development is situated within the vicinity of various shops and services of Keymer Road, all just a couple minutes’ walk away from the site.
The occupants of retirement living typically have a good level of disposable income, having downsized and released considerable equity, and tend to shop frequently. Therefore, the spending power of the ‘grey pound’ has the unique ability to revitalise local high streets. Recent research, published by Homes for Later Living, has shown that on average people living in a retirement community generate £550,000 of local spending per year, £347,000 of which is spent on the local high street, directly contributing to keeping shops open, creating new jobs, and enabling high streets to thrive.
Meeting the Needs of Older People
By moving to a Churchill Retirement community of like-minded people, isolation and loneliness are significantly reduced as are anxieties related to the maintenance of the home and to safety and security experienced by many older people, enabling our residents to enjoy greatly improved health and general wellbeing.
Reducing Demands on Health and Social Services
Retirement communities are shown to reduce the risk of health challenges for elderly people as well as improving safety and security. Research has shown that retirement communities contribute savings to the NHS and social care services of approximately £3,500 per resident, per year.
Freeing Up Market Homes
Research has shown that by providing homes at the top of the housing ladder, which better meets the needs and aspirations for older people, specialist retirement housing developments of the kind delivered by Churchill Retirement Living free up homes for families that need extra space to move into and through the chain effect, subsequently freeing up more homes for first-time buyers.
Proposed elevations
Proposed building elevation showing the context of the street scene along Keymer Road
Proposed building elevation (not showing local context)