The visionaries behind a £3.6m retirement village in north Cumbria are opening up their plans to the public.

Dr Anita Herdeiro, and her husband Bruno, are busy working on creating the development at Scalesceugh Hall, south of the city, thought to be one of the first of its kind in the UK.

As revealed in The Cumberland News last week, the couple believe the village - which will be in the grounds of the Edwardian mansion - is a completely new take on retirement and cannot be compared to nursing homes and sheltered accommodation which are currently on offer.

It will initially have 13 "villas" which will be part of a self-contained community, complete with healthcare and estates staff.

Facilities will include a library, coffee lounge and activity room.

Dr Herdeiro stressed that it will be a community and not an institution as people who choose to live there will have decision-making power about a range of things, for example which staff to hire.

The complex, full of high-spec eco-friendly homes, is inspired by similar developments in Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand.

Dr Herdeiro and Bruno hope it will have a major impact on how older people in Cumbria - with an increasingly ageing population - live post-retirement. They believe this approach will help keep people healthy and living independently for longer.

Care for the elderly is one of the biggest social and medical issues faced by the county.


Anita Herdeiro Local people considering retirement and thinking about buying one of the villas are being invited to come and visit the stately home on the edge of Carlisle next month as part of an open day to show off progress on the new village.

The open day is being held on Saturday, July 15, where interested people can take part in organised tours of the estate, the new homes and the mansion which is at the heart of the scheme.

Dr Herdeiro said: "We know that what people want from retirement is about enjoying the fruits of all their hard work, and the freedom to live life to the full.

"But we also know that it can be unpredictable.

"Our approach is to let people plan for the very best with the reassurance of help close by if they ever need it."

For more information go to www.scalesceughvillas.co.uk or call 07747770524