L&G unveils 300-home ‘later living’ scheme

Legal & General (L&G) has announced its latest foray into the urban later-living sector by unveiling plans for its second 300-home scheme in Surrey.

The finance giant’s Guild Living business has submitted plans to transform unused NHS buildings next to Epsom Hospital into a new mixed-use community featuring housing with care facilities, shops and a children’s nursery set around a tree-lined square.

L&G said the project will include homes designed with the help of academics to enable older people to live independently using the latest technology, alongside places for families to stay when visiting.

Established in early 2019 to deliver housing communities for older residents who still wanted the benefits of living close to an urban centre, Guild Living plans to build another 300-home scheme in Surrey at Walton-on-Thames, and a development in Bath.

Eugene Marchese, Guild Living co-founder and director, said his business was committed to Epsom for the long term.

“All the facilities we are planning – wellness facilities, cafes and social spaces – are designed to bring people together, as we want to promote multi-generational living and not create the kind of retirement ghetto many people associate with traditional retirement living,” he added.