Lamaleach Park Estates, in Freckleton, Lancashire, marked its golden anniversary with a series of events including an open day on 16 July.

VIP guests included Fylde constituency MP Mark Menzies, Fylde’s mayoress, councillor Christine Akeroyd, and other local officials.

Opening the proceedings was Paul Lancaster, whose grandfather Jack took the decision to diversify his dairy farm in 1966 by providing park homes for sale to mature couples.
The park’s tranquil, rural setting just outside the coastal resort of Lytham soon began attracting buyers in search of a practical retirement location.

The expansion of Lamaleach continued under the stewardship of Jack’s son Michael, who has now handed day-to-day management over to his son Paul and his wife Jane, a district nurse.

The park provides around 120 park homes for those aged 50 and over, and has benefitted over the years from a raft of landscaping and other enhancement to the environment.  Covering 30 acres of peaceful Lancashire countryside, the park provides generously-sized plots with private gardens, and laid-out paths along its stream and woodlands.

The Lancaster family has also planted thousands of native trees and shrubs, and has in the past been praised by TV botanist David Bellamy for its many initiatives to protect the natural world.

Lamaleach Park has a Gold Award from North West in Bloom and for the second time is a finalist in the Great Britain in Bloom Award which is judged against the best in the country.

Interest from prospective park home buyers, says Paul, remains strong both from local retired and semi-retired people in the Lytham area, and from conurbations such as Manchester.

New two and three bedroom homes on the park start from £85,000 rising to almost twice that figure – but still stand in very favourable comparison with nearby similar-size houses.

Paul said that park homes appeal especially to people who are able to sell their bricks-and-mortar house and buy a park property with a nest-egg left over for retirement.

‘Lamaleach offers a semi-sheltered environment where residents live among people of a similar age and background – and which is, above all, affordable,’ he said.

‘Residents also enjoy a positive community atmosphere, and a sense of neighbourliness which many say is sadly missing from today’s towns and cities.

‘Especially popular is our thriving residents club which draws people together through a range of different activities from day trips to meals out and other social events.

‘Above all, perhaps, the park allows people to maintain their independence for longer – and provides relatives with confidence that we make their welfare a major priority.

‘I think that one of the most frequent comments we hear from residents is that they only wish they had made the move to Lamaleach years ago,’ added Paul.

The park has started work on developing another 13 park homes which, like all of its properties, come fully equipped and furnished with central heating and double glazing.

There is more information about Lamaleach at www.lamaleachparkestates.co.uk.