A ground-breaking ceremony has taken place for a £9 million Retirement Living scheme in Balby, Doncaster.

Housing 21, a national leading provider of Retirement Living and Extra Care, proudly announce the commencement of construction for their latest Retirement Living development, Potter Court.

The ground-breaking ceremony, which was attended by representatives from Housing 21, City of Doncaster Council, Hoober Urban Partnerships limited, and Together Housing marked the start of construction for the scheme, which is located on Sunningdale road. Homes England have provided a grant of £3.8m, which will support the build of 13 two-bedroom bungalows and 43 one- and two-bedroom apartments – all available for social rent.

Bridget Faughnan-Bing, Housing 21’s Development and Delivery Director said: "We are thrilled to be able to deliver another Retirement Living scheme in Doncaster. Working closely with the Local Authority, Hoober Urban Partnerships and Neo Projects, we’ve been able to design a scheme for local people that will help to provide Older People in Doncaster with much needed affordable housing."

Nestled within the heart of Balby, once open Potter Court will offer residents independent living with a range of on-site facilities such as; a communal lounge and gardens, electric buggy store, activities room and car and bicycle parking. The scheme will also have presence from an on-site Local Housing Manager.

Cllr Glyn Jones, Cabinet Member for Housing and Business at City of Doncaster Council, said: "As part of our five-year Housing Delivery Plan, we're improving our housing offer for older people. These new homes include state-of-the-art facilities to support older people to live independently within our communities and local residents will benefit massively.

"These homes will focus on affordable rents and energy efficiency whilst also protecting and enhancing the natural environment through sustainable development.”

Next door to the Retirement Living development, Together Housing will also be providing 38 affordable homes for local families to rent. Their two-, three- and four-bedroom homes will be fitted with solar panels and air source heat pumps, which will help reduce costs of residents' energy bills.

Dai Howells, Assistant Director of Development at Together Housing said: “Building foundations for growing families in a sustainable community is at the forefront of our collaborative aims for this exciting development.

“Our ambitious plans with Hoober Urban Partnerships aim to meet a dynamic need for new, affordable housing in Doncaster with a leading focus on renewably sourced energy for each of our homes. With the addition of Housing 21’s plans to develop a retirement living scheme, were eager to embark on this ground-breaking development and set out on what we aim to deliver.”

Pictured: Key representatives from Housing 21, City of Doncaster Council, Hoober Urban Partnerships and Together Housing.

David Wroe, Director of Hoober Urban Partnerships said: “We are delighted to finally be making a start on this project to deliver a scheme of affordable family housing and retirement accommodation on the site previously acquired from City of Doncaster Council. It’s our second recent scheme with Together Housing and first with Housing 21, as well as being the first 100% electric & renewable energy scheme we have developed.”

This development is scheduled to open in Summer 2026.

To find out more or to register your interest, email: info.pottercourt@housing21.org.uk