East Renfrewshire Council will decide later this week whether to give the go-ahead to a £55m retirement village which seeks to shatter preconceptions of later living by offering a range of on-site activities including a gym, spa, restaurants and clubhouse overlooking a reservoir.

Netherplace will sit on 17 acres of former industrial land on the outskirts of Newton Mearns, comprising 252 homes and an 80-bed care home together with specialist care services, all geared toward the over 55s.

Spearheaded by Scotsbridge Holdings, headed by Shazad Bakhsh, the latest application includes a number of amendments to an application which was previously recommended for approval.

Bakhsh said: “We believe this project will ultimately reduce the burden on local authority care provision by providing residents with more intermediate care options.

 “In addition to signficiant facility and activity offerings, the development will also feature an on-site day care nursery ensuring interaction with the wider community while the considered layout will encourage neighbours to engage with each other. Our professional and experienced team has a vision to modernise the sector and provide a development to both answer demand and exceed expectations.” 

Jewitt & Wilkie Architects founder Jonathan Jewitt added: “This proposal includes a wide variety of unique features which have been subtly future-proofed to cater for the changing needs of residents. By providing this kind of accommodation, it is expected that housing currently occupied by one or two persons within the surrounding community will be released into the market for much-needed family housing.”