THE company behind Lakeside Village, a retirement development near Ashford, has received a national award for customer service.

The Care Village Group received a silver award in the best retirement housebuilder category of the 2003 British Housebuilder Awards, organised by the Daily Express in association with the National House Building Council and New Homes Marketing Board.

Entrants underwent a stringent selection process to see how successfully they met 11 service criteria and Care Village Group scored top in the “first impressions of development” and “helpfulness of sales staff” categories.

The achievement builds on previous year’s success, when the Care Village Group won a gold award at the 2001 awards after being voted Best Retirement Developer 2001.

According to the Care Village Group, it specialises in creating retirement “village” developments where residents are able to maintain their independence and enjoy a wide range of on-site social and leisure facilities while having the comfort of extra support available should they need it.

Lakeside Village at Hothfield near Ashford is their first development in Kent.

Approached via a private driveway, the village is in a wonderfully peaceful natural setting overlooking a beautiful fishing lake.

Lakeside Gardens consists of 32 luxurious one and two-bedroom apartments for completely independent living.

Lakeside Place provides 15 fully serviced suites of varying sizes for people who are looking to combine comfortable, convenient independent living with a greater degree of care and assistance when they need it.