Willmott Dixon has been appointed on phase one, which includes 80 apartments at the centre of the sustainable village complex and one assisted living block that comprises six one- and two-bed apartments.

The project will be part of Millfield Green’s five-year development programme that starts this month and runs across four phases.

Michelle Cotterill, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “This project is creating a new, state-of-the-art complex to facilitate comfort and independence for retirees, and we’re also really looking forward to working towards the construction of our first net zero retirement project and moving one step closer to meeting our ambitious sustainability targets for 2030.”

As part of the contractor’s ‘Now or Never; our decisive decade’ strategy, Willmott Dixon has pledged that its own operations will be zero carbon in 10 years and is aiming for its supply chain partners to be net zero carbon in operation by 2040, 10 years ahead of the UK government’s target.

The site will benefit from the installation of ground source heat pumps by Legal & General, through their investment in Kensa Group, to generate renewable energy, alongside on site photovoltaics, improved building fabric and insulation, and mechanical heat vent recovery units to make it as energy-efficient as possible.

Electric vehicle charging points will also be installed in 10% of parking bays with infrastructure in place to increase it to 100% once demand grows.

As part of Willmott Dixon’s commitment to leaving a legacy in the local community, the contractor will also be working with local suppliers throughout the development and creating opportunities for businesses in the surrounding area.