Northern Irish construction firm, Farrans and retirement community developer Inspired Villages have commenced the £45 million Phase 1 of Widmore Park Village in Sonning Common.

The first phase will include 73 bespoke homes for those over 65 and a state-of-the-art wellness suite in the village centre. Upon completion, Widmore Park Village will offer 133 sustainable homes for around 150 residents over 65, featuring a restaurant, café, hairdressers, library and a wellness centre with a pool, steam room, treatment rooms and gym. The gym, pool, restaurant and café will also be accessible to the wider community.

The development will provide further benefit to the local area and economy by creating over 100 construction roles, and more than 40 operational positions once complete. In addition to this, the two organisations have already started supporting the local community in a variety of other ways. Farrans started with a donation of laptops for Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge (MECE) secondary school’s Special Educational Needs Department where they also presented a ‘careers in construction’ session to 70 year 10 students. Colleagues from Farrans and Inspired Villages also volunteered their time to clear the Sonning Common Scout’s Hall.

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Glenn Gilmore, Regional Director for Farrans, said: "We are proud to be delivering this important scheme for Inspired Villages and we recognise how important it is to have well-designed, high quality retired living developments like Widmore Park which promote activity, community and sustainability in our later years. We have already started an extensive programme of social value activities to leave a positive lasting legacy in the area including donating ten laptops to Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge (MECE) secondary school special educational needs department and presenting a careers in construction workshop to 70 year ten students at the same school. We will be keeping the local community up to date with our work progress in the Sonning Common magazine and we are looking forward to hosting 12 coffee mornings at the nearby parish in partnership with Age UK."

Shaun Whelan, Construction Director for Inspired Villages, commented: "We're hugely proud of the community we’re creating at Sonning Common and know Widmore Park will join our nine operational villages to become a great asset to the local area, whilst supporting the provision of housing for the region’s over 65s in a sustainable and conscious way. The benefit to residents and the wider community is proven and significant so we’re delighted to mark today’s groundbreaking milestone as the first step towards Widmore Park becoming a thriving and popular retirement community."

Widmore Park will be part of Inspired Villages' rapidly expanding pipeline, aimed at creating 34 communities with 5,100 homes for 8,000 people aged 65 and above. Following the example of Millfield Green, the UK’s first Net Zero (regulated energy) retirement community that opened last November, Widmore Park will also focus on sustainability.