Retirement complexwith green technology

The innovatory '˜green' Claremont Lodge development on a three-acre site opposite Fontwell Park Racecourse will take a year to build.

Claremont Lodge comprises a 30-bed residential care home and 20 linked garden cottages. The idea of the developer '“ Aldwick-based Royal Bay Care Homes '“ is to combine a traditional care home for elderly people with independent living accommodation on one site.

This is a rare concept in the UK but one which is gaining popularity.

The premises will contain all the latest '˜green' technology. This includes solar energy for hot water, recycled rainwater for irrigation and energy-efficient internal lighting.

Russell Wilson, the managing director of Royal Bay Care Homes, said: 'The idea of a self-contained retirement complex is to provide accommodation and facilities for the retired and elderly to suit varying needs in one location. The cottages are for those who need purpose-designed accommodation to suit their way of life, offering security, peace of mind and companionship in a non institutional setting.

'Claremont Lodge is innovatory in its concept and is being built to a very high specification. The '˜green' features make the properties especially economic to run.'

One of the UK's leading specialists in building homes for the elderly, Chessmann Consulting of Cardiff, is managing the building project.

Its managing director, Lee Bishop, said: 'Claremont Lodge is in the vanguard of healthcare building development because it is using the elements to cut running costs and incorporating the latest technology to help it to become as close to carbon neutral as it can be.'

Royal Bay Care Homes Ltd was founded more than 27 years ago. It runs eight homes around the UK and two schemes of close care apartments.

Three of the homes and the two sets of close care apartments are around Bognor.

The other homes are in Dorset, Kettering and Kidderminster.