An innovative major development mixing hi-tech research facilities and hundreds of retirement homes could be built on the outskirts of Norwich.
A planning application for inter-generational smart homes on the estate of Colney Hall, adjacent to the Norwich Research Park, has been submitted.
Developers say that if given the go-ahead the “visionary project” will embrace smart technology and mark a step change in social care provision, creating the first bespoke social care training campus.
The project would include an innovation centre with an academic and research facility, teaching and administrative space, plus retirement living/extra care apartments, a care home and student accommodation.
It would all be clustered around what is described as a “village centre hub”.
James Boddy, owner of Grade II listed Colney Hall, and who first envisioned the concept over 20 years ago, said he was “overjoyed to see the scheme has progressed through various iterations to now culminate in this gracious and exciting proposal”.
Architectural images submitted with the plans show striking timber buildings with people pictured walking through woodland and alongside the river.
A pre-planning application masterplan released earlier this year proposed there would be 100 one and two-bedroom retirement homes, a 30-bed care home, extra-care and dementia living facilities, and 48 co-living homes.
Dr Sanjay Kaushal, chair of Norwich-based Castlemeadow Care, which is already developing ultra-sustainable new care villages in Halesworth and Attleborough, said he was “delighted that the project has reached this stage”.
Working alongside the University of East Anglia as the strategic training and research partner, it will be the first “bespoke social care training campus” and encourage more people to enter the sector, he said.
The project will also seek to embrace the increasingly popular concept of inter-generational living - people of different ages living together.
Dr Kaushal said: “By living longer and well, this will help to reduce admissions into the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, freeing bed space to increase treatment capacity such as those patients on the waiting list for treatments."
Professor Charles ffrench-Constant, UEA pro-vice chancellor for medicine and health sciences, said: “A pioneering development of this kind, with the scale and ambitions set out in the application, will enable UEA’s core strengths to be applied in a way that can generate benefits in living, care, health, training and environmental sustainability, that will ripple out much more widely, starting with the local area.”
He added "The next generation would not forgive us if we didn’t take the opportunity to ensure this scheme was delivered."
Dr Saul Humphrey, the development’s project management consultant, said: “I am delighted to see this ultra-sustainable and beautiful vision take a huge step closer to realisation.
“The opportunity to create the place where innovative smart-technology and exemplary care and support is delivered is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here