Ampthill Consultation

Over view Welcome to Adlington Retirement Living’s consultation on the proposals for circa 75 retirement apartments with care (Use Class C2) on land at the former Agate House Care Home, Woburn Road, Ampthill.

This consultation provides local residents and businesses with the opportunity to view the proposals, and submit any feedback before the planning application is submitted.

Location

▪ This drawing is copyright.

▪ Do not scale dimensions from this drawing.

▪ This drawing is to be read in conjunction with al ▪ All discrepancies on this drawing are to be repo ▪ Do not modify any element of this drawing.

▪ Use drawing only for purpose(s) issued.

Woburn Road

The Site

Rev

Date

Revision

DO NOT SCA Status

PLANNIN Project

Woburn Road, Title

Location P

Adlington Retirement Living is a trading name of Glad England: No. 5107546. Registered office: Gladman Hou CW12 1LB. Vat No. 33

Drawn By

Issues

MRo Project no.

00030

Checked By

Publis

RG

22

Drawing no.

XX-T-PL-9

Award-winning communities Adlington Retirement Living designs, builds and operates retirement living communities with care. Our innovative, spacious apartments don’t just win over homeowners and their families: they also win the recognition of our industry peers.

We have built award-winning retirement communities in Otley, Portishead, Macclesfield, and Stockport, recognised at the National WhatHouse? Awards for “Best Retirement Development in the UK”, as well as “Best Development” at the 2022 Health Investor awards. With over 1000 current homeowners we continue to develop new communities across the North West, Yorkshire, the Midlands and South West.

Our vision is to empower the older generation to live a long, happy and healthy life, by providing a valuable product and service, therefore reducing the ever growing strain on the NHS.

Our product and ser vices The retirement community will consist of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom private apartments with extensive communal facilities, high quality landscaped gardens with summer house and car parking, and will have access to:

On-site team 24/7, guest suite and staff facilities

Table service restaurant, coffee lounge and homeowners lounge

Patios, balconies and landscaped gardens

Activities studio

Hairdressing salon and therapy suite

Ample car parking with disabled spaces and EV charging points, plus internal mobility scooter store

Adlington Retirement Living work with Registered Care Providers to provide care in the comfort of each home. Homeowners purchase their own apartment and live independently but have the reassurance of 24-hour on-site support team 365 days a year. Tailored personal care packages are also available, as required. This model of elderly accommodation is ideally suited to individuals, or couples who wish to continue living together in a situation where one, or both, have care needs.

The Adlington retirement community will offer manageable, accessible, warm homes with low running costs. Owing to the design of the building there is less risk of falls and accidents. Our active community and services also offer a social life that protects against isolation and loneliness.

Specia lis t housing need The number of people aged over 65 is forecast to rise over the next decade, from the current 10.8 million people, to 13.8 million by 2035, a 27% rise. This means that approximately one in five of the UKs total population will be over 65 in 10 years’ time, which will become one in four by 2050.

It is therefore unsurprising to note that the need to provide suitable housing for our ageing population is described by the government as ‘critical’. The provision of age appropriate housing is of critical importance to the health of individuals and has profound impacts on public spending, particularly adult social care, and the NHS. There is an equally pressing need within Central Bedfordshire and locally within Ampthill itself: An increase in the population aged over 65 of 45,000 people by 2043 This is a 39% increase in the elderly population from 2021-2043 An existing supply of 2,636 specialist older persons homes in Central Bedfordshire (as of 2023) A total need of around 4,783 specialist older persons homes in Central Bedfordshire by 2043 A need for 1,186 specialist older persons homes in Ampthill and its surrounds by 2043

4,783 Units 2,636 Units

Current Supply

Identified Need by 2043

Cur rent Site Condtions The site was formerly in use as a Use Class C2 Care Home catering for Nursing and Physical Disability and was operated by Leonard Cheshire.

The existing buildings are of a rather nondescript appearance, making no positive contribution to the character and appearance of the street scene along this element of Woburn Road.

The original building has been extended and modified over the years, providing a sprawling building footprint that covers approximately a third of the site area.

Except for the green set-back to Woburn Road the majority of the remaining site area is given over to tarmac and hard landscaping.

Immediate Context The site sits outside of the historic town centre core.

Within the immediate context of the site there are a limited number of buildings, all of which vary in use and architectural style. The photographs below illustrate the varied character of the immediate site context, including scale, massing and materiality. These localised developments sit within large, deep plots with the majority of plots having been developed ‘at-depth’ from the Woburn Road frontage.

AMPTHILL REGISTER OFFICE

MCCARTHY STONE, LATER LIVING

MCCARTHY STONE, LATER LIVING

AMPTHILL ARMY CADETS

PARKSIDE COMMUNITY HALL

APARTMENT BLOCK, MOOR POND PIECE

APARTMENT BLOCK, MOOR POND PIECE

SEMI DETACHED, MOOR POND PIECE

BADMINTON CLUB

Wider Context The images below illustrate the character of the wider area in terms of its architectural styles, material finishes, scale and massing of buildings.

Generally the surrounding area is a mixture of two and three storey buildings with some four storey developments, for example the apartment blocks at Katherine’s Court.

The historic core of Ampthill has a high quality townscape which includes a large number of historic buildings. The limited materials palette, which consists of mainly red brick and clay tiling, provides a clear character for the town. There are a number of Georgian structures, however there is a wide range of buildings including Victorian and Edwardian.

BEDFORD ESTATE COTTAGES, ALAMEDA ROAD

SEMI DETACHED PROPERTIES, CHANDOS ROAD

APARTMENT BLOCK, KATHERINE’S COURT

THATCHED COTTAGES, WOBURN STREET

THE WHITE HART INN

VIEW ALONG WOBURN STREET

WAITROSE, BEDFORD STREET

VIEW UP CHURCH STREET FROM MARKET SQUARE

DUCK RIDDY

Masterplan Options The diagrams below demonstrate three different layout options considered for the site, with an explanation provided as to their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Strengths

Strengths

Strengths

• Single building footprint for ease of management and access to communal facilities for residents.

• Single building footprint for ease of management and access to communal facilities for residents.

• Proposed building line respects existing development line to Woburn Road.

• Proposed building line respects existing development line to Woburn Road.

• The majority of existing trees are retained, including those on the southern boundary.

• The majority of existing trees are retained.

• Maximum separation distance provided to Moor Pond Piece residential development.

• Existing access points to Woburn Road retained.

Weaknesses

• Length of building frontage to Woburn Road is excessive.

• No views provided through site to the southern boundary.

• Single building footprint running centrally through the site.

• Existing trees on the southern boundary may be lost due to length of rear building leg.

• Inefficient use of site, resulting in a financially unviable development that would not fulfill Adlingtons brief.

• Quantum of development is in accordance with Adlingtons brief.

Weaknesses

• Building footprint is excessively large.

• Proposal presents narrow, blank gables to Woburn Road frontage, it does not therefore respect the character, scale and massing of the immediate context.

• Providing two separate buildings enables the building footprints to be similar in scale and massing to the McCarthy Stone development to the east of the site.

• Building frontage lengths presented to Woburn Road respects the character, scale and massing of the immediate context. Existing building line respected.

• All existing trees are retained.

• Large central, external community space created that links both buildings.

• No views provided through site to the southern boundary.

• View created through site to the southern boundary, through the central landscaped space.

• Separation distance is restricted to Moor Pond Piece residential development.

Weaknesses

• Car parking would have to be located in front courtyard space.

• Multiple buildings increases management costs and results in accessibility issues for residents and staff.

• West block closer to the boundary than desired to ensure retention of rear trees.

Concept Development 3.2 Concept Development

pt Development

regular in layout and g footprint, due to sions over the years. The pproximately 2,957m2, of the total site area. The ings is poor.

Landscaped Community Space The concept vision for the new development is built around the landscape. A new, central, landscaped community space is envisaged that connects the development as a whole but more importantly connects Woburn Road through to the southern site boundary by providing a strong visual connection through the central green space. This vista will focus on the two existing mature trees to this boundary, highlighting the importance of these key landscape assets.

EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS

urn Road have a 73 metres whilst he site circa. 64 frontage presents an rm, offering no views or h the site.

LANDSCAPED COMMUNITY SPACE/HEART MATURE TREES

MATURE TREES

CO N

along this element of h the mature trees, feeling to the appraoch

TR

NE CT IO

NT O

CE NT

NT O

CE NT

RA

LC OM

MU

N IT

YS

PA CE

TR RA

LC OM

MU

N IT

YS

EE

L

RO DF IN E

E AG NT

PA CE

VISUAL CONNECTION THROUGH LANDSCAPED COMMUNITY SPACE

3.2 Concept Development

VEHICULAR ACCESS

Scale & Massing The development proposals retain the massing at a maximum of three storey’s, respecting the scale of existing development within the immediate context.

MASTERPLAN ZONING

and un-built on areas ects the character of this provides a green setting

The scale and massing of the two buildings will be similar to that of the existing McCarthy Stone development at 40 Woburn Road, The length of the proposed building elements fronting Woburn Road will also be similar to that of the McCarthy 28 Stone development and significantly less than the residential block at Moor Pond Piece.

MATURE TREES

Woburn Road, Ampthill

SCALE & MASSING - ADDRESSING WOBURN ROAD Woburn Road, Ampthill

It is acknowledged that the massing of the proposed development must respond to the scale and massing of its neighbours in the street-scape.

It must also have regard to the wider context.

As demonstrated in the Assessment section of this report the immediate and wider site context includes a large number of buildings that are three and even four storeys in height. Scale, height and massing of the proposed buildings will be reflective of their use. The overall scale ofGthis proposal is E TA appropriate to its setting and ON is a considered, R F contextual response. LINED

velopment

TR

EE

TR

To Woburn Road the frontage buildings will be broken down visually into ‘individual’, domestic scale buildings in a similar way to the adjacent VEHICULAR ACCESS McCarthy Stone development. Each individual building could also be provided with a differing architectural style, taking reference from the local context, to further break down the scale and ensure it respects the character of this element of VISUAL CONNECTION Woburn Road.THROUGH

ow the al is appropriate nd

how the own into to the will step in building e Woburn an scale eighbouring

L

GE TA

VEHICULAR ACCESS

pt Development

nstrates the proposed ped as a result of the n of this report. The s proposed to be broken uildings allowing a visual ndscaped community s on the southern site

EE

N RO DF IN E

CO N

NE CT IO

LANDSCAPED COMMUNITY SPACE VEHICULAR ACCESS

SKETCH AERIAL VIEW OF CONCEPT PROPOSAL 30

Woburn Road, Ampthill

Woburn Road, Ampthill

ation es and varied a character cal

VISUAL CONNECTION THROUGH LANDSCAPED COMMUNITY SPACE

TREE

Woburn Road, Ampthill

LIN E D FR

ONT AGE

EE

L

RO DF IN E

E AG NT

Proposed Site layout Site Access

Layout

Quantum

• Access for residents, deliveries and emergency vehicles will utilise the two existing access points.

• The proposed buildings have been set back from Woburn Road.

Similar to adjacent McCarthy Stone development.

• Overall site is 2.24 acres/9065m 2.

Existing buildings cover approximately 2,957m 2. Proposed footprint of buildings similar at 2,888m 2.

• Landscaped central community space connects the two building

• Two thirds of the site is left as open space for landscaping and car parking

• Existing footpath along Woburn Road to be widened.

• Visual connection provided from Woburn Road through the central community space.

• Circa 75 apartments provided with a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms.

andscape & External Amenity Visual connection through central community space to existing trees and southern boundary

attractive external amenity is critical th and well-being of homeowners. The uilding footprints create and define e, usable spaces which will be sheltered The central community space between s free of cars and provides a focal point erplan. The gap between buildings urn Road allow views through to this d space and beyond to the existing trees aped backdrop.

Landscaped parking

menity space should be an extension communal spaces, glimpsed from and main entrance and internal communal rge patio/terrace areas are proposed side the homeowners’ lounge and o facilitate direct access from the ce to external seating areas. Ground to individual apartments provide a ce, screened by landscaping.

e to establish opportunities for rs to take a walk. A route will be ound and through the building connecting to the central community ake full advantage of features, views of interest in the garden with adequate ting. The resident’s journey should be ulating and circulatory.

UP

Landscaped parking

portant to provide leisure facilities within ape design offering the opportunity for d social interaction. The landscape ncorporate a Petanque court along ated seating for periods of rest. A timber ouse’ will be provided within the central space, this feature is seen as key to heltered external space for all weather and interaction.

ce

Secondary entrance

ce

Vehicular/pedestrian access

nting

Internal communal space

retained

Enhanced boundary planting/ screening

Existing mature hedge

e

Woburn Road, Ampthill

Trees

Car parking and servicing

Amenity Space

• All boundary trees are to be

• Circa 43 car parking spaces are provided for the retirement community.

• A large proportion of the site is

retained.

• Opportunity for additional tree planting to increase biodiversity

• Hedge along eastern boundary to be reviewed and way forward agreed with Parkside community centre as known local issue.

• Each individual parking space to have EV charging capability • Frontage car parking to be screened by hedging to ensure retention of green character.

• Car parking used as a buffer to western boundary to protect amenity of neighbouring residential development.

landscaped, providing valuable amenity space and opportunities for biodiversity enhancement.

• The communal facilities (such as restaurant, coffee lounge etc) will spill out onto this amenity space which will be the hub of the scheme.

• Amenity space provides opportunities for social interaction, reducing the effects of loneliness and isolation.

Proposals and Design Sketch aerial view of proposed retirement community, showing central landscaped space.

Sketch view looking west along Woburn Road

Sketch street scene to Woburn Road, showing view through the central landscaped space

Benefi ts Employment Additional jobs created in Central Bedfordshire during construction and in Ampthill when operational.

Economic Additional spending in the area which will support local businesses and services.

Release of family housing Free up family housing in the market, which is often under-occupied.

NHS and social care savings Less risk of falls, reduced GP visits, hospital admissions and care home costs.

Social Promotes social interaction, peace of mind, stability, comfort and security which protects against isolation and loneliness.

Sustainability Through the provision of high quality landscaping and enhancements to biodiversity there will be a significant net gain for biodiversity on the site. The building will utilise sustainable construction and design techniques.

Next steps

01 02 03

23 February 2024

Deadline for feedback

Late March 2024

Submission of planning application

Summer 2024

Anticipated decision on planning application

Thank you for taking the time to view the information about our proposed retirement community. Please send your feedback via email to: ampthill-comments@adlington.co.uk Alternatively, please send your feedback to: Planning Team, Adlington House, Alexandria Way, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 1LB.