L&G on retirement village drive

Insurance giant Legal & General is planning to build more than 40 retirement villages in the next five years.Legal & General acquired Inspired Villages Group (IVG), an operator and developer of later living accommodation, in August 2017.Since then the business has grown from 25 to 129 employees. Its five-year plans envisage employee numbers increasing to 1,200, with a target to have 8,500 homes across 50 sites, looking after 12,750 residents. IVG currently has six sites.The company has been on a recruitment drive to lead its growth plans. New joiners include land director Jim Fogden, from healthcare provider Barchester, and Jez Conen joining from McLaren Property as senior development manager.Dean Bower has also joined from Lindum Group as development manager; Neil Burgin joins IVG as senior programme manager from Richmond Villages; and Craig Raymond joins as project manager from Concept Project Management.