A DEVELOPER of retirement communities plan to turn the Wimborne Market site into a retirement village.

As reported, Ensors, owners of the market, announced they were relocate it earlier this year, and McCarthy and Stone has acquired an interest in the site.

McCarthy and Stone’s plans for its retirement village will feature a range of integrated housing options across different tenures, including apartments and age-specific bungalows.

Following the coronavirus outbreak, the focus of the proposed new development will be to ensure safety, support, and help with isolation and loneliness, while addressing the living priorities of the over-65s.

Homeowners would have access to 24-hour flexible on-site care, and support designed entirely around their needs and aspirations.

Shared facilities, including a fully serviced restaurant, serving at least two meals a day, a communal lounge, a function room, a library, a wellness suite and guest accommodation, with additional spaces for social activities and community events, will create a social hub and supportive community at the heart of the development for all of those living in the village.

The location of the site, close to the town centre, will allow homeowners easy access to the shops, amenities and local economy of Wimborne and can continue to play an active part in the wider local community.

Shane Paull, divisional managing director at McCarthy and Stone, said: “We are delighted that we have acquired the Wimborne Market site for our proposed flagship retirement village.

“The area presents an exciting opportunity to regenerate a town centre site. Our vision for this site, in the heart of Wimborne, is unlike anything we have done before and we would be proud to be able to deliver our first retirement village in Dorset, the home of our head office.

“Our retirement communities have continued to have a positive impact on the lives of older people in our communities during the pandemic.

“Testimonials from our homeowners attest to that and we are pleased that our communities have seen half the rate of Covid-19 cases than the wider over-65s population and a seventh of the over-85s.”