Guild Living submits plans to turn unused NHS buildings into retirement homes

Guild Living, Legal & General’s urban retirement housing business, has lodged plans to transform unused NHS buildings by Epsom Hospital into a mixed-use retirement scheme. The project will include 300 care homes alongside rooms for relatives to stay, a children’s nursery, restaurants, bars and GP consultation rooms. Proposals also feature transitional care suites to ensure patients recovering from hospital care can transition back to living independently. Michael Eggington, co-founder and chief executive of Guild Living said: “Britain is facing up to the reality that our ageing population and social care crisis means we have to do things differently and look at how we bring older people closer to us, helping them live healthier for longer. “If we can get people outside interacting with various facilities and local green space, it gives them somewhere they can relax, offering a much nicer experience both for residents and people visiting loved ones. Because we have long-term capital from Legal & General, we are able to take a different approach than traditional developers can and our ambition for Epsom is to create a project that pushes the boundaries in terms of quality and design.” The news comes after Guild Living submitted plans to convert a former Homebase store into a mixed-use retirement scheme at the end of January. Proposals for the site in Bath include public facilities, such as a nursery, to create an intergenerational community. The business aims to develop and manage the project, which includes 317 retirement flats as well as a gym. To send feedback, e-mail anna.ward@egi.co.uk or tweet @annaroxelana or @estatesgazette