Planning permission granted

Dover District Council has granted planning permission for 70 extra care apartments for older people in a £25m redevelopment of the old sorting office on Charlton Green in Dover. The 0.69ha site will be developed by McCarthy & Stone.

Designed to help older people over 70 to retain their independence, the development will include accessible one and two bedroom apartments, along with a wide range of communal facilities, including a homeowners’ lounge, on-site bistro, hair salon, and landscaped gardens, all with the added security of 24-hour staffing. There will also be a guest suite so that friends and family can stay too.

Martin Brown, Development Director, McCarthy & Stone, commented: “We know that the number of people in the UK aged 65 or over is set to rapidly increase over the next two decades… but very little specialist retirement housing has ever been built in the UK, and we are committed to addressing this shortfall.”