CONSTRUCTION work is now underway to build 44 retirement apartments in Hagley.

McCarthy & Stone hopes the first of the residential properties for the over 60s will be occupied by August next year.

The development, which will include an on-site restaurant, guest suite and laundry facilities, is being built on the former Hagley Middle School site on Park Road.

Gill Sabin, regional sales and marketing director for McCarthy & Stone, said: “Everything we do is built around a belief that later life can be rich, rewarding and fulfilling.

"Starting construction of our retirement living development marks an exciting milestone in helping the over 60s in Hagley make the most of later life."