Work begins on £36m retirement housing development

Work has officially begun on a housing community in Sutton Coldfield, where 137 new homes will be built.

Midlands-based Deeley Construction has broken ground on the £35.9m project at the former Royal Works site on Coleshill Street, in partnership with Anchor, a not-for-profit housing and care provider for older adults.

The development will feature 137 one- and two-bedroom independent living apartments, designed to meet the needs of Sutton Coldfield’s ageing population.

Funded by Homes England, the project will consist of a five-storey and four-storey block to create a retirement community.

Upon completion, the development will prioritise affordability and choice, offering communal lounges, dining spaces, a hair and beauty salon, and rooms dedicated to well-being and activities.

Sustainable energy sources like air source heat pumps and solar power will be utilised, and the buildings will be designed to exceed building regulations for thermal performance and air tightness.

Eleanor Deeley, joint managing director at the Deeley Group, said: “We’re proud to partner with Anchor to deliver a high-quality and sustainable development which will meet the community’s housing needs in Sutton Coldfield.

“This is a challenging brownfield site, however using our expertise in similar developments and by working closely with Anchor we have brought the scheme to this stage and it’s great to see work now underway on site.”

Victoria Mager, Anchor’s Director of Development Delivery, said: “This promises to be another excellent development as part of our partnership with the Deeley Group and the start on site at Mill Place is a significant milestone in the project.

“The start of construction at this exciting new development is a key step in helping Anchor to achieve its vision of creating 500 homes a year over a rolling ten-year period and we are looking forward to expanding in this new location.”