A new report has revealed that green credentials are important for more than 80 per cent of those interested in living in a retirement development.

National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP’s Retirement Living Survey 2021 reveals ‘it is not all about gyms, socialising and a party retirement, the future of the planet also matters.’

Dale Edwards, a green energy specialist at Clarke Willmott, said: “Over the last 18 months there has been a significant shift in people appreciating and valuing the importance of environmental matters, which is reflected by government objectives to make the places we live in more sustainable and energy efficient.

“More developers are becoming more socially responsible in their approach incorporating new green technologies for new properties and re-furbishing existing stock.

“Today’s baby boomer retirees are savvy when it comes to the need to make the planet greener, but we were surprised with the percentage of survey respondents who said sustainability was quite important (54.69%) or very important (28.65%).

“We will be using this information and other data gathered by the survey to help advise our clients in the months to come.”

Clarke Willmott commissioned the survey after seeing an uptick in demand for residential developments designed for retirees and older clientele. More than 12 million over 65s live in the UK, a figure expected to increase by 41 per cent by 2040.

The survey was completed by more than 300 private individuals from across the UK.

Simone Protheroe, an associate in the construction team at the firm, looks at what this means for developers. She said: “Developers in the sector will want to consider the green credentials of the building contractors and consultants appointed with particular sharp focus on the designs and specification document being forward-thinking in terms of sustainability requirements.

“From a contractual point of view, due thought should be given to ensuring there is express obligation to comply with any relevant sustainability standards or performance thresholds and to refer to the relevant operating procedures.”

Clarke Willmott has extensive expertise in the later living sector acting for developers, including Retirement Villages, Blue Cedar Homes and LifeStory Group, and advising a range of later living care providers.

Services include site acquisition, planning and the environment, construction, facilities management, home sales, property finance and dispute resolution.

Clarke Willmott is a national law firm with offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton, and Taunton.

For more information visit https://www.clarkewillmott.com/legal-expertise/later-living/