West Byfleet's Botanical Place Hits Topping Out Milestone
Posted 22/02/2024
Botanical Place, part of the Thrive Living collection by Retirement Villages Group (RVG), celebrated a significant construction milestone with its ‘Topping Out’ ceremony. The event, held on the roof of Tea Tree House, brought together senior representatives from RVG and building contractors, Higgins Group, alongside local councillors, community leaders, and Wokings’ Member of Parliament, Jonathan Lord.
This ceremony marked the final pouring of concrete onto ‘Tea Tree House’, which is the highest building of the five new residential blocks at Botanical Place, which is set to open its doors next year.
The Thrive Living collection is made up of sustainable communities that put people, culture, and wellbeing first and is the first of its kind in West Byfleet. Boasting the highest standards in design and amenities, it has also been built as, and will continue to operate as a whole-of -life net zero carbon development. Botanical Place seeks to create a community where older people can continue to live independent, active lifestyles, and contribute positively to the local area whilst also addressing the town’s housing supply and regenerating the town centre.
Local community members have been essential in shaping the design and construction process of the West Byfleet development. The ceremony was an opportunity to thank community leaders for their valued participation and continued support. Their input has been invaluable in making sure that the project aligns with the distinct features of the area and meets the needs of the broader community.
The event was a symbolic moment in West Byfleet’s history, commemorating the progress made in the construction of Botanical Place. 197 apartments will be built as part of the scheme, along with a host of retail outlets and landscaped public spaces set to revitalise the local area and provide a wealth of amenities and opportunities for the local community. Inside Botanical place there will be a variety of exciting amenities including a cinema room, gym & wellness centres, and a convenience store amongst others.
Speaking on the day, RVG’s CEO Will Bax said “Today is a special day for everyone working tirelessly on the Botanical Place project and the residents of West Byfleet. We place the community at the core of our vision – we are committed to fostering a strong sense of community spirit in West Byfleet. Our vision for Botanical Place is about creating a vibrant hub where residents can come together, build meaningful connections, and share experiences. This way, we will ensure that Botanical Place is a dynamic destination contributing significantly towards the long-term community aspirations of West Byfleet.”
Wade Pollard, chair of the West Byfleet Neighbourhood Forum, added “My fellow community leaders and I were pleased to see the project’s good progress and look forward to its completion. We once again thank the Thrive Living and Higgins Group teams for their continued engagement with the local community, helping to shape Botanical Place into a vibrant community asset with plenty of amenities that local people will soon enjoy”.
Steve Leakey, Managing Director of Higgins Partnerships said, “We are delighted to mark this milestone event at Botanical Place which we are proud to be delivering in partnership with Retirement Villages Group. As well as making amazing progress on this sustainable new retirement community, our team has been working closely with the local residents to deliver our commitment on social value and providing volunteering hours to community projects. We are also raising awareness of the range of career opportunities available in the construction industry through our work with local schools, colleges, and job fairs.”
The West Byfleet site is one of many in the Thrive Living development pipeline across the UK alongside Chester and Tunbridge Wells, which was crying out for regeneration. RVG is calling on the Government’s Older People’s Housing Taskforce, local councils, and the wider housing industry to ensure the UK is building enough age-appropriate housing on brownfield sites to cope with this rising demand.
For more information on Botanical Place, visit https://www.retirementvillages.co.uk/our-villages/botanical-place/
