Planning permission granted at Rickmansworth

Churchill Retirement Living, the UK's fastest growing privately owned retirement house builder, has secured planning permission for the development of 42 one and two bedroom retirement apartments in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. Upon completion the development will comprise an Owners' Lounge, Guest Suite and communal gardens and will be located on the site of a former unattractive vacant office building which is to be demolished. The 0.4 acre site is located within a Conservation Area and is within walking distance of the shops and amenities in Rickmansworth town centre. The site is well served by public transport with Rickmansworth underground and train stations within just a third of a mile and good bus services connect to Watford Uxbridge, Denham, Maple Cross and Heathrow Airport from the High Street.

Churchill Retirement Living builds retirement apartments at carefully selected locations across the South of England and Midlands, offering the very best of local amenities and shopping; at the same time providing Owners with independence, security and 24-hour support and help when required.

Spencer McCarthy, Chairman and Group Managing Director said, "We are delighted to have been granted planning permission on this new site in Rickmansworth which we only purchased in January and this will be our first development in Hertfordshire. Demolition of the office building will start straightaway and construction will get underway in November 2010 with first occupations anticipated in November 2011. Customers wishing to find out more about this new development should contact our Customer Enquiry Team on 0800 458 1857.”

McCarthy continued: "The positive outcome is a testament to true collaboration and professionalism by our planning and design consultants, Planning Issues and officers from Three Rivers District Council Planning Department. Following negotiations with the Council a contribution of £200,000 is to be made towards offsite affordable housing and I consider this to be a substantial amount. We are now preparing the technical drawings and carrying out site preparation works. The demolition will start on 20 September and the development will be completed in 14 months. It represents a significant milestone in our expansion strategy to become the undisputed market leader in retirement property development. We are committed to listening to our Customers, meeting their requirements and above all, delivering the highest standard of Customer service at all times. This is supported by the fact that we have been awarded the UK's Best Retirement Housing Operator 2009 by the UK Over 50s Housing Weekly News magazine.”