Appeal Of Bungalow Living At Essex Age-Exclusive Scheme

Ian Holloway, project director at Burnham Waters, talks about the over-55s development and the benefits of life in a bungalow.

Ian, what does your job entail as a project director?

Delivering the vision our team has for the retirement community by building and managing relationships across retained consultants through the planning process, and contractors through the build process.

Why are you so excited about your Burnham Waters development?

To be part of a team delivering a first-of-its-kind retirement community is extremely gratifying. The fact that it will meet a growing demand in the UK for older persons' accommodation and potentially set the bar for future developments continues to spur me on.

What do you think are the main benefits of bungalow living?

The principal benefit is that single-storey living, designed to M4(3) standards (wheelchair adaptable), with innovative technology available, provides enhanced care to deliver peace of mind to families and residents. The vision is to be able to spend longer in the home as you age, reducing the need for care home or hospital care and ensuring the best quality of life possible.

Does the development lend itself to buyers creating exactly the kind of life that’s right for them at this later stage of life?

No development will fit all buyers’ ideals. We believe, however, that Burnham Waters will deliver a spectrum of benefits to a wide range of the UK’s ageing homebuying population, leaving them safe in the knowledge that as they grow older their bungalow will need very little adaptation, if any at all, to cater for their physical mobility and care needs in later life.

Do you feel that building single-story dwellings like this is going to become increasingly popular as the proportion of the UK population living longer increases each year?

Yes, but as answered above, they will not suit all buyers – specifically those preferring apartments, which we also provide on-site. There are inherent issues in the current planning system though, that encourage, or at least permit, the volume of housebuilders to build only for a specific and probably shrinking element of society that wants two-storey homes. This is a hurdle for the government and planners which needs to be addressed to enable more bungalows to be delivered.

Do you feel that this way of building is slightly at odds with the tough building quotas we need to hit (ie building up, rather than laterally) to alleviate the current housing shortage?

No. Based on government statistics, there is a need for another 2,500 retirement communities like ours in the UK, distinct from general market housing. Facilities like Burnham Waters will free up general market housing and enable churn or ‘turnover’ of existing homes to take place, thus reducing the amount of need for new market homes as the population ages. Land use statistics in England confirm that the developed land in the UK is at 8.7%. We have considerable land available and more developments like ours, with a focus on landscape and ecology, can benefit all and aid the shortfall, whilst delivering much-needed accommodation for the ageing population.

Are you offering any particular incentives to buyers at Burnham Waters?

Yes, in terms of very low-density living, high-quality managed facilities, and very well-landscaped grounds, designed with ecology put first, as well as a medical centre, wellness facility, walking and exercise routes, and shops.

Do people need to be fully retired to move into the development, or do you have working people who are planning ahead for that stage of life?

Our facility is open to anyone over the age of 55, with an initial marketing focus on existing residents of the Maldon District. Residents might still work, either full or part-time, and that is not a bar to living at Burnham Waters.

What do you think is the thing that people would find the most surprising benefit of bungalow living?

The distinct lack of stairs to negotiate as they age and the sense of space and natural daylight within our bungalows.

And finally, do you have any other developments in the pipeline that you’ll be focusing on in 2023?

Yes, we are actively lobbying the central government and researching new sites to build similar developments across the UK, using Burnham Waters as an exemplar.

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