Senior Living Investment Partners (SLIP), a £200 million partnership between Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), an insurer of defined benefit pension schemes, and real estate lender and investor Octopus Real Estate, has signed a multi-site joint venture with Audley Group, a provider of integrated retirement communities (IRCs) to develop up to four new retirement communities.

SLIP aims to house up to 2,000 people in the coming years across 10 IRCs and deliver around £1 billion in gross development value into the sector.

The IRCs SLIP is developing with Audley Group will create 600 new retirement units across four new villages, the first in Headley Court in Surrey.

The Audley Village at Headley Court will consist of 112 apartments. It will safeguard the future of a Grade II Listed historic mansion house and restore the extensive landscaped grounds, which will also be made available for the local community to enjoy for the first time. The IRC will include the Audley Club, a health and wellbeing centre for those in the local area aged 55 and above, as well as a restaurant.

Other villages to be developed by the multi-site JV will include both Audley and Mayfield sites. Mayfield villages are part of the Audley Group. 

PIC has an investment strategy, through which the company backs the pensions of its policyholders over decades with secure, long-term assets. The company has invested significant sums in sectors which seek to address the lack of accommodation in the UK, including temporary accommodation to aid those at risk of homelessness, social housing, build to rent, and retirement living.

Max Cawthorn, head of PIC Capital Strategy, said: “Our joint venture with Octopus Real Estate continues to make excellent progress in helping to meet the twin challenge of an ageing population and an undersupply of appropriate housing. The calibre of Audley Group and its long experience in the UK retirement market make it a perfect partner for Senior Living Investment Partners. Through our relationship we will help address these societal issues while also providing long-term, secure investments which underpin the pensions we pay to our policyholders.”

Nick Sanderson, founder and chief executive of Audley Group, commented: “The demand for retirement villages is only growing. Octopus Real Estate and PIC have recognised the opportunity in the retirement space and it’s wonderful to see a new JV with dedicated capital to grow the sector.

“We have been working with JV partners for some time; it allows us to execute the model in a less capital-intensive manner, which in turn means we can accelerate the delivery of these much-needed villages. Headley Court is a truly unique site, rich in both history and beauty. We look forward to working with Senior Living Investment Partners to deliver another first-class retirement village.”

Kevin Beirne, head of retirement at Octopus Real Estate, added: “We are delighted to build on our relationship with Audley Group in creating this new JV vehicle to develop a very exciting pipeline of IRCs. This JV will deliver 600 new retirement units across four sites, delivering a mixture of Audley and Mayfield village offerings to provide much-needed growth of the UK retirement living market for older people, as well as facilitating the increased availability of family homes.

“The IRC proposition goes far beyond just high-quality real estate. IRCs provide an investment opportunity to deliver strong and sustainable returns while delivering unique impact though improved lifestyle and well-being for our ageing population.”