Maghull Retirement Living, Liverpool
High-Quality Visualisations Supporting Planning and Marketing
Project Description
NPA Visuals worked with McCarthy Stone on the proposed Maghull Retirement Living development located on Liverpool Road South, Maghull. The scheme comprised 44 one and two-bedroom retirement apartments in a sustainable and accessible location close to Maghull town centre, helping to meet the growing demand for specialist accommodation for older residents. The site occupies a prominent canal side location adjacent to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and was formerly home to the Royal British Legion Social Club, later reopening as the Red Lion Social Club.
Working alongside Box Architects and One Design Landscape, NPA Visuals provided a suite of visual materials that supported both the planning process and subsequent marketing of the approved scheme.
The Brief
The project required visualisations capable of fulfilling two distinct purposes during the development lifecycle. Initially, accurate Visual Verification Methodology (VVM) imagery was required to assist the planning process and provide an evidence-based assessment of the proposed development within its surroundings. Following design revisions and planning progression, high-quality marketing imagery was required to showcase the completed architectural vision and attractive canal-side setting.
Our Approach
NPA Visuals was commissioned to prepare three verified views for planning purposes, ensuring that key viewpoints accurately represented the proposed development within the existing streetscape. These visualisations provided decision-makers and stakeholders with a reliable understanding of the scheme’s scale, appearance, and relationship with surrounding features.
As the design evolved, we subsequently produced photorealistic CGI images to support marketing and promotion of the development. The canal-side location presented an opportunity to create imagery that highlighted not only the architecture itself but also the quality of the wider setting. To achieve this, additional surrounding context was carefully modelled, particularly where access limitations prevented photographic capture from a preferred viewpoint.
Delivering Value Through Visualisation
The project demonstrates how visualisation requirements often evolve throughout the lifecycle of a development. By providing both planning-stage verified views and later-stage marketing imagery, NPA Visuals supported the project from concept approval through to promotion of the completed scheme.
Our long-standing relationship with McCarthy Stone reflects our ability to deliver technically accurate planning visualisations while also producing engaging marketing imagery that communicates the character and appeal of a development.
Outcome
The scheme successfully secured planning approval, with the Verified View Montages (VVMs) playing an important role in helping the planning committee understand the appearance and character of the proposed development. By clearly communicating the design intent and its relationship with the surrounding context, the visualisations contributed to the successful grant of planning permission.
The development has since been constructed and now provides 44 specialist retirement apartments in a highly accessible location close to local services and amenities. Throughout both the planning and marketing phases, the visualisations have delivered significant value, helping stakeholders assess the proposals while also providing compelling imagery that communicates the quality and vision of the completed development to prospective residents and the wider public.
This project demonstrates how carefully prepared visualisations can support informed decision-making during the planning process while continuing to serve as effective marketing and communication tools long after permission has been secured and the development delivered.
