CONSTRUCTION is underway on a new £20million luxury retirement complex opposite Poole Park.

A total of 60 one and two-bedroom flats are being created by McCarthy and Stone for their Horizons assisted living platinum range development, which is expected to welcome the first residents in spring 2017.

Once completed, facilities for the residents will include a club lounge, rooftop terrace, landscaped gardens and a guest suite for friends and relatives to use.

There will also be a well-being suite and onsite restaurant, as well as 'domestic assistance packages' to help homeowners manage their day to day lives. In addition, there will be a dedicated estates manager at the development with security entrance systems and 24-hour emergency call points for people to use while they continue to live independently.

Kim Caldwell, regional sales and marketing director at McCarthy and Stone Southern, said that the design of the exterior of the property is inspired by Sunseeker yachts and the town's seafaring heritage.

She added: "We’re very excited about our upcoming development on Parkstone Road. The plans for the site reflect the rich history of Poole.

"From the outset, our vision has been to raise the quality of housing for people in later life and create a modern, signature building which Poole can be proud of, and which we hope will become a valued part of the community for people to enjoy.

"Retirement is a time to relax and enjoy oneself, and what better way to spend that time than soaking up the scenes of the stunning Poole Harbour? We think local retirees are going to really enjoy this development, and current level of interest seems to reflect that."

McCarthy and Stone is the UK's leading retirement housebuilder with a 70-per-cent share of the owner occupied market. The group operates by purchasing land and then building, selling and managing high-quality retirement developments. It has sold over 50,000 homes across more than 1,100 developments since 1977 and currently has around 160 developments under construction or for sale in the UK in a variety of locations including city centres, rural villages and coastal locations.