An innovative retirement village, planned in partnership between the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT) and the local authority and health services in Hartlepool, has won £9.8m backing from the Government’s Extra Care housing fund.

The JRHT, which is administered as part of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, warmly welcomed an announcement by Stephen Ladyman MP, the community care minister, that the project to build more than 200 flats and bungalows is to receive the biggest single award from this year’s allocation.

Plans for the Middle Warren development in Hartlepool build on the experience of Hartrigg Oaks, JRHT's highly-acclaimed retirement community in York that opened seven years ago. The new 'extra care village' will combine the reassurance of high-quality home care services when residents need them, with a range of communal facilities, including a restaurant, 'healthy living suite', shop, activity room, hairdressing salon, lounges and day-care facilities.

Hartlepool Primary Care Trust also plans to use the village as a base for delivering services, including health promotion, and chronic disease management and care.

The village will be a mixed-tenure development with accommodation available for rent, part-buy and full ownership. The accommodation will meet the Housing Corporation’s scheme design standards and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's lifetime home standards, which ensure they are adaptable to changing needs as well as accessible.

The total cost of the scheme is currently estimated at around £34 million. In addition to the Extra Care allocation, the scheme has also been awarded £0.7m social housing grant from the Housing Corporation.

John Kennedy, the JRHT's director of care services said: "We are delighted that the Department of Health has recognised the merits of this partnership proposal with substantial funding from its Extra Care housing fund."

"The Middle Warren proposals are based on a philosophy of enabling older people to lead independent and active lives, with care and support available according to individual needs. With our partners, we want to provide an exemplary extra care scheme that meets the needs and aspirations of older people in Hartlepool."