Pictures: £9.4 million Telford independent living complex for older people opens

There are 63 apartments for over-55s in the new Oakwood development in Wellington.

Architects, agents and council chiefs took an early tour of the new complex before it was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth look-alike Patricia Ford in honour of the monarch's 90th birthday.

The ShireLiving development was built by county construction company McPhillips (Wellington) Ltd on behalf of The Wrekin Housing Trust and Choices Housing Association.

At the opening, the 'Queen' was joined by 92-year-old resident Peggy Johnson to cut the cake. Pupils from Short Wood primary school, who have been following the construction of the building, presented a posy of flowers.

Mrs Johnson said: "I really am happy to be moving to such a great place. I love that I will be close to my family and have support here if I need it."

Wrekin Housing Trust area manager Karen Bate said: "Oakwood offers a real alternative to residential care and enables people to stay in their own home for as long as possible."

Oakwood is the fourth extra-care scheme of its kind to be developed by The Wrekin Housing Trust and Choices Housing Association under the ShireLiving name.

Further new schemes in Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Newcastle under Lyme are set to open next year.

Peter McPhillips, joint managing director of construction firm McPhillips Ltd, said: "We are proud to again be involved in creating such a high quality development from its design to completion. Oakwood is a landmark building which people will enjoy for many years to come."

The building has been designed to help older people look after themselves for longer, with design features such as wider doors for wheelchairs.

The building has walls able to be knocked through for hoists and extra wheelchair access to wet rooms as and when needed – and lift access large enough for an ambulance trolley.

There is also a designated parking space for an ambulance as well as staff and visitor sleepover rooms, a room for electric buggies and baby changing.

Work began just over a year ago to transform a two-and-a-half acre site overlooking The Wrekin and Wellington Cricket Club.

A total of 15,000 cubic metres of earth was dug out to flatten the site which rose to four metres high.

A team of 100 people worked on the site, with 37 local contractors contributing to its creation. Workers dug 253 piles to a 10m depth, laid 106,000 bricks and 1,200 cubic metres of concrete flooring.

Stonework recovered from a redundant 19th century Black Country railway bridge was used to construct a wall bordering the roadside at the Holyhead Road site in Wellington.

The development was funded through a £7.5 million investment from The Wrekin Housing Trust and £1.88 million of grant funding from the Homes and Communities Agency.