Audley Group has appointed GRAHAM to lead on the construction of Audley Scarcroft Park, a new 110-acre retirement village in West Yorkshire. 

Once complete, it will be home to 22 cottages and 106 two-bedroom apartments located in the heart of the ‘Golden Triangle’ formed by Ilkley, Harrogate, and York.

The project will be the third site on which Audley Group has partnered with GRAHAM.

Preparatory groundwork began last year, including the demolition of the 70,000sq ft 1970s office block, making way for the construction of 18 new buildings and the restoration of Grade II-listed Scarcroft Lodge. 

On completion, Scarcroft Lodge, built in 1830, will be home to the Audley Club which will provide property owners and the local community with a restaurant, health spa with hydrotherapy pool, gym, and wellness studio.

Building communities

The village will also offer delivery of care to both owners and the local community through Audley Care, Audley’s stand-alone Care Quality Commission-registered care provider.

The start of the construction comes after Fortwell Capital, a principal lender to developers and investors in the UK and Ireland, financed a £52.1m loan facility to the joint venture (JV) between Audley Group and Schroders Capital’s UK Retirement Living Fund (ReLF) advised by Octopus Real Estate.

The village will be the fourth planned through the joint venture agreement.

Philip Rolfe, development director at Audley Group, said:“The demand for integrated retirement communities is higher than ever so we are delighted to work with GRAHAM to again.

“And it’s vital that we work with companies like GRAHAM that can deliver to the highest standards, to maintain the quality and build that Audley is known for.”

Close collaboration

He added: “The pandemic has brought the need for these types of villages to the fore; where property owners can maintain independence while also having a community and the option of care and wellbeing facilities on the doorstep.

“We cannot wait to see the village take shape over the coming months and watch the restoration of the beautiful Scarcroft Lodge take place.”

Jonathan Hall, managing director (England) at GRAHAM, added: “It’s great to have added another retirement living village of this nature to our portfolio with the Audley Group. 

“The close collaboration with Audley and the Design Team throughout this journey, from early design to contract execution, has been another success story for GRAHAM, Audley and the design team.”