Mayor lays ‘first brick’ at major Melton retirement housing scheme

Councillor Malise Graham did the honours at Catherine Place and Pine Gardens, on Scalford Road, which is on the site of the former Catherine Dalley Nursing Home.

A collection of 25 one and 22 two-bedroom retirement living apartments are being built at Catherine Place and nine bungalows at Pine Gardens, and they will be exclusively for those aged 60 and over.

Developers, McCarthy and Stone, say the properties will be available to buy off-plan in March next year with the first occupants expected to move into them six months after that.

Councillor Graham said: “It was a pleasure to visit the site of McCarthy and Stone’s new development in Melton Mowbray to lay a date brick.

“It was a good opportunity to meet the site manager and hear first-hand about the developer’s newest retirement community, which will help to meet the housing needs of retirees in Melton and the surrounding areas.”

The VIP guest joined area sales manager, Andrea Shaw, and senior site manager, Paul Bardon, on a tour of the site and to take a closer look at the plans for the overall scheme.

Samantha Watkins, the developer’s deputy divisional sales and marketing director, commented: “We are delighted that the Mayor of Melton was able to take the time to visit our site, look at our plans and lay a commemorative date brick.

“We are committed to designing flexible homes which allow people to make the most of their retirement years, and to live as independently as possible with the benefit of having extra support should they need it.

“We hope our new development will provide the ideal setting for retirees to enjoy their retirement to its fullest.”

The apartments at Catherine Place will have a homeowners’ lounge overlooking landscaped gardens and a terrace, along with a hotel-style guest suite for when family or friends come to stay.

Future homeowners will benefit from a house manager, a 24-hour emergency call system and camera entry system.

Each individual freehold bungalow at Pine Gardens will feature its own private gardens, along with a drive and garage on selected plots.

Work was held up temporarily at the site in October last year following the discovery of human bones by the builders.

Forensic tests evenually dated them back to 635-680AD and archaeologists have been involved in investigations into who they relate to.