Northern Ireland construction firm lands £76million later-living scheme in England

Northern Ireland construction firm, McAleer & Rushe has secured a £76million deal to build an integrated retirement community in Kent.

The Cookstown contractor, with offices in London, Belfast and Dublin, will deliver 167 later-living apartments in Royal Tunbridge Wells for the Retirement Villages Group (RVG).

Sited on a former ABC cinema plot which has been derelict for over two decades, the scheme will see one and two-bedroom flats arranged above shops around a central courtyard and feature landscaped terraces.

Construction works are set to begin on the development this month and once complete will provide a high-quality landscaping scheme with flexible spaces across multiple levels including podium landscaped terraces.

Drawing inspiration from surrounding buildings, the architecture will reflect that of the art deco cinema that formerly occupied the site, and the mid-century town hall which faces the building. In a sector leading initiative, RVG has committed to developing the site as a whole-life net zero carbon project.

This contract signifies an entrance into the later living sector for McAleer & Rushe, which the business has strategically targeted to diversify their offering as a leading design and build contractor.

Shane McCullagh, director at McAleer & Rushe said: “McAleer & Rushe have a long and established history of delivering homes, rooted in our origins within social housing in Northern Ireland and our expansion into the later living sector reflects a natural evolution of our capability.

"With decades of experience in both hotel and residential projects, including build to rent, co living, and affordable housing, we are well positioned with an enviable skillset and proven track record to enhance buildability for our industry partners.

“We see the later living sector increasing in the market, to meet the needs of today’s society for modern retirement housing that centres on community and social connection. We look forward to working closely with RVG to bring their vision to life, to create and integrate an enhanced retirement community with the wider urban town setting, benefiting all in the transformation of this brownfield site.”

Will Bax, chief executive officer at Retirement Villages Group, added: “We are thrilled to bring Thrive Living to Tunbridge Wells and unlock a brownfield site that has sat derelict in the heart of the town for over 20 years.

"Thrive Living is a step-change in the way we should think about later life. We intend to challenge the stereotypes of vulnerability, loneliness and dependency and replace them with a new narrative. Modern retirement living needs to reflect the attitudes of a new generation of elders, who want to live with purpose and embrace the opportunities of connected and sociable living, creating their own active, urban community in an existing town setting.

“It’s a pleasure to partner with McAleer & Rushe, we are all excited about the opportunity to revive this space and build a vital, open community in the heart of this great town."