Latest news with #retirementVillage
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Fire at Braintree retirement village destroys bungalow
A bungalow has suffered "devastating damage" at a retirement village, firefighters have from Essex were called to the fire at the retirement village in Meadow Park, Braintree, at 13:55 neighbouring properties were also affected by heat and fire was injured and all residents were safe, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said. "Firefighters worked incredibly hard in challenging conditions to stop the fire from spreading further," a spokesperson cause of the fire was being investigated. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hotel and motorhome campsite approved in Holsworthy
A hotel with 30 beds and a camping site for motorhomes is set to be built close to a retirement village in Holsworthy.A planning application to build on land adjacent to Rydon Village off the A3072 has been approved by Torridge District Council's planning 35 jobs are expected to be created once the hotel is built and 40 others during the construction, the application Sylvia Argyrou, a nearby resident, said the retirement village would be overlooked by the site which would "strip us of our privacy and peace". Some people at the village, which has 83 residents, are also concerned about air, noise and light pollution. Councillor Kit Hepple, an independent for Milton and Tamarside, said it was "the wrong development in the wrong place".He said there were safety issues regarding the shared access and the farm track to the new development and a proposed footpath alongside the A3072 to link with the town centre. 'Open for business' Council leader Ken James said there was very little accommodation in the area with the nearest hotel of this type in Bideford, the local democracy reporting service said. He told the committee the scheme aligned with Torridge's plans to bring the district out of of the Great South West Investment Board and member of the South West Business Council Tim Jones said: "I think this application shows that Holsworthy is open for business and committed to economic development. "I have known this area for 30 years, I cannot remember a time when the prospects for Holsworthy have been as good as they are now."However Philip Pennington, who is a non-aligned councillor for Monkleigh and Putford, said hospitality was traditionally low paid and this sort of employment would not help Torridge lower the number of working residents on Universal committee agreed the plans by five votes to three.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Cheshire fire service spent £150k pursuing prosecutions
Cheshire Fire and Rescue service spent more than £150,000 pursing prosecutions against companies after a fire at a retirement complex, before a trial collapsed earlier this month. A BBC Freedom of Information request revealed the service spent a total of £151,778 up to the date of the start of the retirement village, which was home to around 150 residents, was destroyed by a fire in August service said: "We have a statutory duty to enforce the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and hold a specific budget reserve to fund prosecutions such as this." Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service initially pursued six firms, but action against two of them was subsequently trial against the remaining four began earlier this month, but the fire service said it had "regrettably" decided to withdraw its the time, chief fire officer Alex Waller said: "Following extensive legal submissions heard over the first two days of the trial, unfortunately it became clear this morning that there would be no realistic prospect of securing convictions."Around 150 people, many who were elderly or vulnerable, were left homeless by the fire and lost their possessions. Nobody was injured. Read more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Iconic car dealership to shut in just HOURS & be demolished as brand axes nearly half its sites
AN ICONIC car dealership will close in just two days' time as a major brand continues to scrap sites. The family-run dealer is going to be demolished shortly after it shuts. 2 TC Harrison Ford in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, will close its doors for the last time on Friday. The closure was confirmed after planners granted permission for a new retirement village to be built on the dealership's site last year. TC Harrison confirmed last month that the dealership would close on May 16 2024. Happily, there will be no job losses following the closure. All business activities and staff will relocate to the the firm's Huntingdon branch, just 11 miles away. This site will in turn expand to accommodate the increased staff and activity. A spokesperson for TC Harrison announced: "Following the planning approval for the proposed retirement village on our St Neots premises, I can now confirm that all our business activities and staff will be transferring to the Huntingdon dealership on May 16, 2025. "Huntingdon is 11 miles from St Neots, just off the A141. "We have scheduled a series of announcements to our customer database outlining our collection and delivery services (amongst other offers) to maintain customer convenience. " Planning has been approved for further expansion at our Huntingdon dealership and works will commence in due course. Popular car dealership abruptly shuts after 'trade-in trick' uncovered – as drivers blast 'worst experience ever' "We look forward to welcoming as many of our St Neots customers as we can." The TC Harrison dealership in St Neots is just the latest casualty in a five-year plan by Ford to close almost half of its dealerships in the UK. Ford announced this in 2020, with the aim of boosting profitability at its dealers by reducing their quantity and expanding their sales area. At the start of this year, the Blue Oval brand announced it would close 50 dealerships across the country to complete this goal. Only three of these 50 dealers terminated have been able to retain their Ford Authorised Service. It had cut down to 'just over 200 dealers' nationwide, according to CarDealer, fulfilling its five-year target. Ford of Great Britain said: "We have been actively restructuring the dealer network over the past several years to better align with the evolving needs of our business and deliver enhanced service." This comes as part of a wider trend of franchised car dealerships closing across Britain. Companies including Group 1, Lithia, Marshalls and Vertu have all been scaling back their sites. TC Harrison dealer group, responsible for the St Neots site closing on Friday, has been a family outfit for 94 years. Founded in 1931 by Thomas 'Cuth' Harrison, the company came 16th in the Car Dealer Top 100 list of most profitable dealers in Britain, produced by the publication CarDealer. The Group had a hefty earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization sum figure of £34,23 million. 2
BBC News
07-05-2025
- BBC News
Trial over Crewe's Beechmere retirement complex fire collapses
Trial over retirement village fire collapses Beechmere retirement village was destroyed in the fire on 8 August 2019 A trial into alleged breaches of fire safety regulations by four companies in Cheshire has collapsed, with formal not guilty verdicts entered against six companies involved. Beechmere retirement village in Crewe, which housed about 150 residents, was destroyed by a fire on 8 August 2019. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service initially pursued six firms, but action against two of them was subsequently dropped. The trial against the remaining four began on Tuesday, but the fire service said it had "regrettably" decided to withdraw its prosecutions.
