Vivere has unveiled plans to build a circa 200-bed portfolio of extra care communities in and around Edinburgh over the next five to seven years
To kickstart this push, the extra care developer-operator has acquired the 2.2-acre Lansdowne House site (pictured) on Coltbridge Terrace from St George’s School for an undisclosed price.
Subject to planning consent, the Lansdowne House scheme will provide a combination of refurbished heritage and newly built extra care homes, alongside communal lounges and amenities.
Vivere has appointed Scottish architectural practice CDA Edinburgh, landscape architects Rankinfraser and Montagu Evans to help prepare proposals for the new community.
Vivere is currently looking to acquire other sites in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife that can provide 50 to 80 homes, for either new build, converted properties or a combination. The sites should be located in established residential addresses and ideally offer proximity to local public transport and amenities.
Scott Curran, co-founding director of Vivere, said: “It is our aim to create a portfolio of high quality extra care living communities in Scotland, commencing in Edinburgh. These will be high quality homes, alongside on-site amenities and tailored care services to suit resident’s needs. Our aim is for our residents to live longer, not grow old. The provision of extra care communities will help to relieve local pressures on NHS services, as well as providing homes to the hugely undersupplied housing sector in Scotland.”
Martin Stephenson, chairman of Stephenson Group and co-founding director of Vivere, added: “Scotland, like the rest of the UK, has an overwhelming demand to provide housing with care and services to a large and fast-growing older demographic, but with the key difference for Scotland currently being the huge lack of supply of these tailored homes and services within the housing sector. With its development plans Vivere aims to provide a quality product to the market and help to meet the demands in the sector.”
Beatrix Lehnert, co-founding director of Vivere, said: “The forming of Vivere represents significant new long-term investment and job creation in the Edinburgh economy. Alongside delivering best-in-class extra care schemes, our approach is to partner with Scottish businesses, suppliers and operators who are local leaders in their field to provide the care services and amenities for our new communities. This way Vivere will help to create new jobs and investment in Edinburgh alongside the construction jobs generated by the building of our new projects.”
