The new Maynard House apartments at a retirement village in Great Easton were opened by Sir Alan Haselhurst, the MP for Saffron Walden.

The apartments, now complete have started to be occupied at Moat Park retirement village.

To mark this milestone in the village’s history, invited guests, residents and staff joined Sir Alan at a Christmas-themed lunch with harpist Maria Beattie playing and including carols from the village’s newly-formed choir.

Sir Alan said: “I am a regular visitor to Moat Park and I realise the importance of the continuous care support which villages such as this provide. The extension to the care home and now these new independent retirement flats with their own clubhouse, make this a highly sought-after prospect for people looking to settle somewhere secure in later life.”