A £7-million housing scheme for elderly residents has been officially launched.

Mayor of North Lincolnshire Coun Jawaid Ishaq announced the start of building work on the project at Ashby Link, off Burringham Road, Scunthorpe.

It will create 51 new one and two-bedroom retirement flats, 47 of which are for rent and four for sale on a shared ownership basis.

The project is a joint venture between Bramall Construction, Hanover Housing and North East Lincolnshire Council, and is supported by a £3.2-million grant from the Housing Corporation.

Hanover programme development manager Heather Ford said: "This development is about helping people to keep their independence for as long as possible and knowing they have somewhere comfortable to live for the longer term.

"With the option to purchase, it also means homeowners can continue their investment."

Bramall Construction contracts manager Paul Heath said: "We are delighted to be able to support this scheme as people are living longer, and there needs to be more housing solutions such as the Extra Care scheme to accommodate this trend.

"The housing scheme allows people to live independently and we have great confidence in our team to deliver these state-of the art developments, now and in the future."

The development is expected to be completed by August 2009.