Rangeford Villages Celebrates Start of Construction for New Retirement Village in Cambridgeshire, with Breaking Ground Ceremony

Rangeford Villages has celebrated the start of construction for its new later living village, Strawberry Fields, in Stapleford, Cambridgeshire, with a ground-breaking ceremony.

The ceremony was attended by Cllr Peter Fane, Chair of Council and Vice Chair of Planning committee, members of the Magog Trust*, as well as members from construction partners Bennetts, and the Rangeford Villages team.

The event marks the beginning of the £50 million construction project, offering 147 contemporary retirement properties with the first phase of the scheme estimated to be completed in 2024, and building due for completion in 2025.

The site is in the attractive hamlet of Stapleford, four miles south of Cambridge and borders Magog Down, a 163-acre reserve on the Gog Magog Hills with views of the surrounding countryside. The development is being built on a piece of land, previously used for growing strawberries.

Speaking about the new scheme, Howard Nankivell, CEO of Rangeford Villages, said: “The Strawberry Fields site is phenomenal, and we are keen to do it justice by providing quality homes facilities and services for its residents.”

Paul McGee, Joint Managing Director from the construction company Bennett Construction said: “We are keen to deliver a scheme that brings long term value to the local community and during the construction phase we will employ about 200 people across all trades and offering apprenticeships as well. The scheme will be developed in a sustainable way and have already identified where we can make 1500 tonnes of carbon savings in the construction.”

Homes at Strawberry Fields will be built with the needs of over 60s in mind, with provision of onsite care for residents, allowing them to live independently with confidence.

The new village will feature a range of sensitively designed bungalows and apartments, incorporating state-of-the-art amenities, energy-efficient features and the creation of amenities to encourage residents to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Facilities will include a wellbeing centre (pool, steam room and sauna), gym, dance studio, bistro, coffee shop and bar, village hall and a hair and beauty salon. 

There will be an abundance of outdoor spaces including manicured gardens, a village green with croquet lawn, plus a boule court, potting shed and raised beds.

Properties will be highly energy efficient and include modern features such as underfloor heating, double-glazed picture windows and an all-electric energy system to help lower bills and environmental impact. Electric car charging points, pool cars, as well as communal transport, will all be available for residents use.

As with previous developments, Rangeford Villages has teamed up with Octopus Real Estate, part of the Octopus Group and a leading investor in healthcare facilities throughout the UK and Ireland, for the project. Once completed, it will be operated by Rangeford. The established partnership between Rangeford and Octopus Real Estate has already led to the creation of five successful retirement villages across the UK: Wadswick Green in Wiltshire, Mickle Hill in North Yorkshire, Siddington Park in Cirencester, and Homewood Grove in Chertsey.

View the photo gallery of this milestone event here.