Developer and architect Group D secures planning approval for 63 new apartments for elderly people at a Liverpool city region site. Tony McDonough reports
A new ‘later living’ community – homes for elderly – will be built in Seaforth after securing planning consent from Sefton Council.
Liverpool-based developers and architects, Group D, put forward plans for 63 apartments at Sandy Road. They will be delivered on behalf of specialist provider Housing 21 and one of three affordable housing projects Group D have in the pipeline in Sefton.
After delivering its Dye House development in Knowsley, Group D worked with Sefton Council through the planning process to achieve a design that received no objections.
Director Patrick Taft said: “From the outset we set out with a determination to create a community, and a sense of place that gives residents their own personal space, but also attractive spaces for socialising, relaxation and recreation.
“Often housing for older people has a functional and institutional feel that doesn’t recognise or balance people’s twin need for privacy and belonging.
“Design detail and sensitivity are critically important to us, and being able to safeguard design quality and originality is the main reason why Group D has evolved from an architectural practice into a development company.”
Group D’s approach to older people’s housing, places a key emphasis on openness and connectivity. The scheme includes an improved public footway and cycleway to help integrate the development into its local setting.
It also offers communal gardens designed to provide both privacy and open connectivity to the street and local life. Group D and Housing 21 expect to be on site before the end of March with the first residents moving into their new homes in 2028.
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Housing 21’s James Lawton added: “There is a strong synergy between ourselves and Group D in terms of our approach to place making and home making.
“We are delighted to be moving forward with them on this project, but are also excited by the potential of our future collaboration.
“We are an aging society and we need to be more thoughtful and imaginative in how we provide homes for our residents, and how they integrate into thriving and sustainable neighbourhoods.”