Solihull Retirement Village given planning permission

Solihull Council has given the go ahead for a 261-home ExtraCare retirement village to be built on the former Powergen site in Shirley, Solihull.

The £45million village is being developed by The ExtraCare Charitable Trust, and will offer 261 one and two bedroom apartments, providing homes for people aged 55 and over, with care available if required. Homes will be offered on a mixed-tenure basis, with 104 being available for shared ownership and 52 for rental.

The new retirement village will be part of a larger scheme led by Shirley Advance. In addition to the retirement village, the development will also include 113 new homes by Lioncourt Homes and a petrol filling station. All of the existing buildings on the ten-acre site will be demolished, including the old Powergen tower and the redundant multi-storey car park, over 20 years since it was vacated.

At the Village, residents, visitors and volunteers will be able to lead an active lifestyle, with a variety of activities on offer, including choir singing, Tai Chi, writing, drama, wheelchair aerobics, all designed to support independence and improved social opportunities.

The Charity’s unique holistic approach was recently validated by Aston University in a three-year research project, which found that ExtraCare residents experience a 46 per cent reduction in GP visits over the course of a year. The Charity’s approach results in significant savings for NHS budgets: over 12 months, total NHS costs for ExtraCare residents can reduce by 38 per cent.

ExtraCare currently operates 31 retirement villages and schemes, including four in Birmingham. A fifth Birmingham village is due to open in Longbridge next year.

Site clearance and demolition work will commence in the spring, and the ExtraCare village will be completed by the end of 2019.

Robert Birch of Shirley Advance said: “This is great news, after so many years of uncertainty surrounding the old Powergen site. The consultation we undertook with local people indicated that this new development will be very welcome in Shirley. We are looking forward to getting the project underway.”

Find out more about Solihull Retirement Village.