A Homebase store in Bath could be turned into retirement homes if plans are approved.
Urban retirement housing business Guild Living - part of financial services firm Legal & General - has lodged its proposal with Bath and North East Somerset Council.
The plans to regenerate the retail site in the city centre include 317 homes, a fitness centre, community cafe, cinema, library and crafts space, alongside shops, a nursery and a multi-faith room.
The mixed-use development, overlooking the River Avon, would also include "connected walkways" and "open green spaces".
The scheme’s design has been shaped to encourage interaction between different age groups and drive footfall to local businesses, according to the company.
As part of this, there would be Guild Living staff on site to organise social events and activities.
'We can drastically improve the quality of life for our elderly'
The idea behind the development, says Eugene Marchese, co-founder and director at Guild Living, is to support the NHS by creating transitional beds and step-down services to free up much-need hospital beds.
Eugene said: “We cared for people differently in the past because we either lived together or lived around the corner, we used to be able to pop-in and engage with older people in the family.
“Nobody - no matter their age - wants to live in isolated villages or feel like they exist in a silo.
"There is a severe lack of quality housing for those entering what I would call the 'third age', so it comes as no surprise that so few people live in dedicated later living homes.
“By building these communities in vibrant, urban locations, creating facilities that everyone can use and providing the care and support when it is needed, we can drastically improve the quality of life for our elderly.”
Guild Living says its development also has the potential to free-up family homes and will contribute towards Bath and North East Somerset's five-year housing supply.
The plans, they say, also fall in line with the council’s 'Placemaking Plan' by creating a new townscape and public areas.
Michael Eggington, co-founder and chief executive of Guild Living added: “With an ageing population and a growing social care crisis, it's clear that the demand for later living will exponentially increase.
"But it isn't simply about the strong economic case of preventing hospital stays and keeping people active - it's about the social benefits to communities and the human cost of not doing this.
"Together with Legal & General, we are planning on creating real mixed-use, intergenerational communities across the country where there is real demand from existing homeowners.
"Our ambition is to offer choices which can support the lifestyle and care needs of our residents.”
