A NEW retirement community has opened in Swindon.

Developers McCarthy Stone have completed most of the work on Gilbert Place and invited the town's mayor Garry Perkins to cut the ribbon to its first showroom.

He joined the housebuilding team and the first retiree to reserve an apartment in the Retirement Living Plus complex on Lowry Way.

Coun Garry Perkins said: “I was delighted to be invited to the opening of the show suite at Gilbert Place.

"I was really pleased to see the excellent development which will help boost the choice for older people in Swindon and beyond.”

The celebration provided the opportunity for the mayor and homeowner Sheila to take a guided tour of Gilbert Place, enjoy a glass of fizz and toast to her new apartment.

Verity McKay from McCarthy Stone said : “It was fantastic to mark this latest milestone at Gilbert Place.

"We are all incredibly proud of the development and we were delighted to be able to unveil the impressive show suite to Coun Perkins – the feedback so far has been very positive indeed.”

Retirees are invited to make an appointment for a one-to-one, socially-distanced tour of the new suite, take a look at the lifestyle on offer and find out more from the site developers about how the properties can help them get the most out of their retirement years.

Verity McKay added: “We know that for many of us, lockdown has made us reassess our housing needs, and we are seeing more retirees deciding to take the plunge and downsize their home.

"The low maintenance living available at Gilbert Place allows retirees to stay independent for longer, become part of a thriving community and spend their time doing the things they love.

" I would encourage anyone looking to downsize to book a one-to-one appointment and visit our new Show Suite now.”

When complete, Gilbert Place will comprise of a host of one and two-bedroom apartments for the over-70s, with the first occupants expected to move in soon.