New £20m Newport retirement community officially opens its doors

A new £20 million retirement community in Newport, described as the first of its kind in Shropshire, has officially opened its doors.

Sundew Court in Newport comprises 61 rental apartments and 16 bungalows, alongside a range of facilities designed to help residents enjoy an independent and fulfilling later life.

These include the Happy Quail restaurant and bar, a large lounge, library, salon, multi-purpose room and extensive gardens, as well as a 24-hour on-site care team.

Later-living specialist Untold Living has officially opened the Swan and Dove House sections of the development, accounting for 55 per cent of the overall community.

The newly opened areas comprise 40 apartments and seven bungalows, following a recent handover from contractors McPhillips to Untold Living.

The company aims to set a new benchmark for retirement living in the region, combining high-end hospitality and independent living with a distinctive community culture.

Adrian Pickard, general manager at Sundew Court, said the opening marked a significant milestone for both prospective residents and the team, who have been working towards the moment since construction began.

He said the aim was to create a place where people could enjoy later life without the added worries and pressures that can come with it, with the on-site team helping residents make the most of their time and the facilities available.

“This is a moment the whole team has been working towards, right from the moment the first shovels went into the ground at Sundew Court,” he said.

Adrian stressed that Sundew Court was designed to offer more than traditional accommodation for older people, describing it as an independent retirement community shaped by the people who live there.

Rather than simply moving into a new property, residents would be joining a new neighbourhood, with opportunities to build connections, enjoy new experiences and embrace the next stage of their lives.

He said the team wanted every resident to feel at home from their first day and, in time, look back on the move as one of the best decisions they had made.

“What we promise our residents is the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their neighbours,” he said.

Adrian added that residents would play a central role in shaping the culture of the community, with the team helping to create an environment where people could support one another and enjoy a better quality of life.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about people being enabled to live a better life,” he said.

Work on Sundew Court, involving contractors McPhillips and architects Gaunt Francis, began in late 2024.

The remaining construction work is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027.