Our Proposals
Churchill Retirement Living’s vision is to deliver a retirement living development, at the former pool in Oadby.
The proposed development would provide a mixture of housing types including 50 apartments, six cottages (2 bedrooms) and one bungalow (2 bedrooms) for retirement living alongside parking, communal amenities and outdoor space.
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.
Retirement living communities like the one proposed by Churchill, offer a multitude of benefits that align with the principles of sustainable development. These communities positively impact individuals and the community as a whole throughout their lifespan.
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 age-profile, 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 find they no longer need it given the sustainable location and neighbourly living environment.
At this stage, the proposals include 50 retirement apartments, serviced by 17 unallocated parking spaces in addition to secure cycle and mobility scooter parking. The six cottages and one bungalow each have a dedicated parking space. There is also provision for three visitor parking spaces.
This makes a total of 24 allocated and unallocated parking spaces.
As retirement living is a very different operational use than residential apartments or care home developments, 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, regarding the 50 apartments, the parking demand is forecast to be in the region of 14 parking spaces.
Churchill is proposing 17 parking spaces, to cater for the apartments, at a ratio of 0.34 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 town centre location meaning that a wide range of everyday services are within a short walk from the site. The site is also serviced by various transport links making the site highly connected and sustainable; includes the close Canterbury West train station that would provide quick and easy access to places further afield for the residents of the proposed retirement community.
Local need for additional retirement living
The “Housing & Economic Development Needs Assessment (2017)” from the Leicester & Leicestershire Authorities and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, part of the Oadby & Wigston Borough Council’s Current Local Plan Evidence Base, highlights that in the years leading up to the report, the most significant population growth occurred in the 60-74 age group, which also displayed the highest proportionate increase. According to the report, a key driver of change in the housing market in the coming years will be the growth in the older population. The report predicts that this trend will lead to an increased demand for specialized housing options, including sheltered housing. The proposal under consideration aims to effectively respond to this housing requirement.
A Churchill Retirement Living development would constitute a significant investment in the type of housing needed in Oadby, in order to keep the ageing population living independently for longer.
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 Oadby will make a significant contribution in terms of social, economic and environmental benefits, including:
Supporting Local Businesses
The site is well-located to shops and essential services in Oadby, reducing the need to travel by car and delivering a significant uplift in local expenditure at local shops and businesses. The high street area of ‘The Parade’ is just a 2-minute walk away; therefore, these local shops and businesses stand to benefit greatly and will be able to soundly cater for the amenity and consumer needs of the new residents.
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.
Regeneration of an Important Site
The proposals would bring this site into positive and beneficial use and make a significant contribution locally in terms of social, economic and environmental benefits. The temporary car park represents an un-used brownfield eyesore within an area of conservation and therefore a Churchill retirement development would constitute a significant betterment of the street scene and to the aesthetic and character of the area.
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.
Free Up Market Homes
Research has shown that by providing homes at the top of the housing ladder, which better meet the needs and aspirations of 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, free up more homes for first-time buyers.
By giving older people in and around Oadby the option to downsize, our plans for the site would help release many larger.
Additional information, including before and after slider plans are provided below. You can slide left and right to see before and after images.
You can also see our virtual exhibition on the exhibition tab.
Before and After slider
Proposed site plan
Before/After Illustrative visuals
Brabazon Road view before and after the Churchill scheme
Oadby Court view before and after the Churchill building