RESIDENTS in Marlborough fear that young people are being squeezed out of the town as plans for more retirement properties have been revealed.

Developer Renaissance Retirement is holding a public consultation to showcase its plans to redevelop the Old Yard on London Road into luxury retirement apartments.

It hopes to build one and two bedroom apartments on the former Marlborough Building Supplies site. Residents will also have access to a lounge and guest suite.

If the plan gets the go ahead, work could start later this year, with a showhome ready to view in 2016.

Renaissance Retirement has not revealed how many apartments it wants to build. The number of properties will be part of the consultation process.

Marlborough mum-of-three Sarah Costello, 30, said: “I’ve lived here for years and it’s where I want my children to grow up but the rent is so high. I can’t afford to buy anywhere in Marlborough so I have to start thinking about moving elsewhere.

“Retirement properties or big, four-bedroom houses seem to be taking up all the open space, which means houses that young families can afford aren’t being built.”

At the end of last year planning permission was granted for a 64-bed care home and 28 assisted living units on the former Wiltshire Council depot site in Salisbury Road.

There is also a planning application awaiting a decision by Wiltshire Council to build 27 retirement apartments on the Clarke and Rodway Garage site by McCarthy & Stone.

Mervyn Hall, planning chairman for Marlborough Town Council, said: “Whether the town needs this sort of development doesn’t seem to be a consideration.

“Marlborough is a lucrative market for retirement apartments and we seem to be a target for developers at the moment.

“What we need is more affordable housing but this isn’t a planning consideration.

“The town council often objects to these developments but then the objection is overturned at county level.”

The Old Yard exhibition will be held at Marlborough Bowls Club on Salisbury Road, between 4pm and 7pm on Thursday, February 19.

Nick Watkins, development director at Renaissance Retirement, said: “We are looking forward to meeting people and hearing their views on our early plans.

“We feel it’s vital to consult at this early design stage to get a feel for local residents’ thoughts and ideas.

“Judging by the large number of enquiries for our site as well as research conducted, there is considerable interest in Marlborough for independent retirement living.

“Research estimates over £400 billion of housing wealth is tied up in properties where owners desperately wish to scale down.

“Renaissance’s proposed retirement development in Marlborough offers an ideal opportunity for those people approaching their later years who aspire to downsize.”

To register your interest or for further information visit www.renaissancegroup.co.uk or call 0800 625 0026.

The proposal for the McCarthy & Stone development will be discussed at Wiltshire Council’s eastern area planning committee on February 19 at 6pm in the Corn Exchange, Devizes.