The Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation has announced a significant new chapter for one of the town's most recognisable historic industrial sites, with plans progressing to bring the former Lloyds & Company building at Birds Hill back into productive community use.
The building is one of the few surviving original factory buildings dating from the creation of Letchworth Garden City. For more than a century, it has stood as part of the town's industrial heritage, reflecting the founding Garden City principle of combining employment, community and quality of life in a thoughtfully planned environment.
The decision follows many years in which the building has remained vacant and continued to deteriorate. Its condition was further worsened by significant fire damage sustained in 2025 and 2026, leaving regeneration as the most responsible and sustainable way forward for the site.
Sanders Senior Living has now acquired the lease and is bringing forward proposals to develop a high-quality care home at Birds Hill. The investment will see the long-derelict site transformed into a new community asset, providing much-needed accommodation for older people while supporting local jobs and economic activity.
As plans are developed, the Foundation's Heritage and Stewardship team will work closely with Sanders Senior Living to ensure the scheme respects Letchworth Garden City's unique design principles and makes a positive contribution to the character of the town.
The project highlights the balance the Heritage Foundation seeks to achieve as custodian of the Garden City Estate: protecting Letchworth's historic character while ensuring its buildings and spaces continue to meet the changing needs of the community and support the Foundation's long-term sustainability.
While the redevelopment marks the end of an important chapter in Letchworth's industrial history, we believe it also represents an opportunity to create a lasting community resource that will serve local people for generations to come.