Purpose-Built Communities Where Under-55s are Banned are Growing in Popularity

Specially created communities for pensioners where crime is non-existent and traditional community values are upheld are fast becoming the latest housing boom. 

The idyllic countryside retreats spreading from the US to Britain which exclude under 55s are in increasing demand amidst perceptions of a crime wave targeting elderly homeowners. 

While the retirement villages are not gated communities they are guarded by closed circuit television and a large number of staff. 

According to the Telegraph a recent poll suggested that there has been a 33% increase since 1998 of those who are planning to move to these villages. 

At present, there are 6000 individual homes in various retirement communities around the UK. The Anchor Trust, the charity formerly known as the Help the Aged Housing Association, says it plans to build 600 more villages over the coming few years. 

Castle Village, owned by the company Retirement Villages, has 250 residents compared to 300 staff on the payroll, and most say they live out a comfortable and secure life. 

"You can either be on your own or socialise," one resident, Marion Goodfellow, told the Guardian. 

"I'm a social member of the golf club next door. He goes to the gym in the morning, I stay in bed. He plays golf in the afternoon, I go over for a drink." 
The residents at Castle Village, set amidst the countryside of Hertfordshire, enjoy a croquet lawn, a billiard room, a bar and a restaurant. There is also a club for almost every activity. They are free to either potter in their own gardens or enjoy the lavish Japanese garden in the village grounds. 

"Every day is Sunday here," Mrs Goodfellow's husband, Norman, told the Guardian. 

Others told the newspaper that the complex had the feeling of a bording school, or social club, with residents only having to walk a few paces along the corridors of the Elizabethan mansion to knock on their neighbour's door to ask them out for a drink. 

However residents are free to choose whether they take part in village life or maintain their privacy: "Some people go to the bar once or twice a week, others never," Olive Walker, 76, told the Telegraph. 

"Nobody wakes us up in the morning and says, 'It is seven o'clock, campers.' Please don't let people think it is like that," she said. 

Another resident, Ian Robertson, told the newspaper that it was like "living in a five-star hotel, with the grounds and facilities to match." 

"You can get three excellent meals every day. You can listen to the grass being cut. I played nine holes of golf this morning," he said. 

While the village is not sectioned off from the outside world, there is a degree of protection from unwelcome visitors. 

"We have Neighbourhood Watch and everyone here looks out for one another,'' Cathy Whysall, the village manager told the Telegraph. 

"If we see someone we don't recognise in the village we will challenge them, in a civil way." 

While visits from relatives are allowed, under 55s are banned from living in the community; and while pets are also admitted, residents are unable to replace them after they die. But do the residents of Castle Village miss the youthful energy? 

"There is a sadness," Felicity Lidderdale told the Guardian. We're all elderly people, people do die. You have to make your own liveliness…it's extremely pleasant and quiet here, but there are times when it can be lonely and quite frightening." 

However, many elderly people are also drawn to the security offered by a 24 hour on-call nursing service. Each of the properties is equipped with a smoke alarm, emergency alarm and a non-movement alarm, in case the resident falls over or can't get out of bed. If the alarm is activated the nurse can call through to the resident; if there is no answer, staff can be over immediately. 

Despite this, there is a limit. The managing director of Retirement Villages, Jon Gooding told the Guardian that they have the final say over whether a resident is allowed to stay, or be moved to a care home. 

"If someone has completely lost their marbles, we can step in because we're not geared up to deal with serious dementia here, but some developments include a care home." 

The accommodation at Castle Village is not cheap. The villagers are expected to pay in the region of £3,000 - £4,500 for service charges, which include nursing costs and house maintenance. A two bedroom apartment can cost around £275,000 while a two-bedroom semi-detached bungalow can be up to £350,000. According to the Telegraph, a three bedroom apartment recently sold for £500,000.