A MAJOR McCarthy & Stone development overlooking Poole Park has been named the country’s best retirement development of the year.

Horizons, on Churchfield Road, contains 60 flats offering extra support for over-70s.

It took the Best Retirement Scheme title at the national Housebuilder Awards, organised by Housebuilder Magazine with the National House-Building Council and Home Builders Federation.

McCarthy & Stone said it intended to create a “signature building for Poole, which challenged people’s perceptions of traditional retirement housing”.

The design was intended to reflect the town’s coastal heritage, with nautical detailing to the balconies and railings, and white rendering to evoke the town’s shipping industry.

It has two sun terraces, a restaurant overlooking landscaped gardens, an atrium and viewing platforms. Some apartments have wraparound balconies overlooking the park and harbour.

Its 60 one- and two-bedroom flats sold out within 13 months.

David Bridges, group sales and marketing director for McCarthy & Stone, said: “As the leading developer and manager of retirement communities, we recognise the importance of building high quality developments which meet our homeowners’ needs and which can support an independent, active and secure retirement. Horizons is an exemplar of our expert approach and we are very proud to have received industry recognition for this.”

The building is one of the company’s Retirement Living Plus developments, offering extra care and support tailored to individual needs.

McCarthy & Stone has won the five-star award for customer satisfaction form the Home Builders Federation for 13 years running – the only UK housebuilder of any type to achieve that run.

In September, McCarthy & Stone said in September that it had faced a “tough year”, with profits for the year ending August 31 likely to come in at £65million-£73m, compared with £96m the year before – even though revenue rose from £661m to £670m.

In September, McCarthy & Stone unveiled a drive to save more than £40million a year by 2021, under new chief executive John Tonkiss.

He is to shift focus from growth to increased returns on investment and improving profit margins.

The company employs around 170 people at Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth, and around 60 at its southern regional base in Ringwood.