A RETIREMENT housing company’s ’jewel in the crown’ development has risen from the ashes of a seafront site in Tenby.

Six years ago, the town’s Royal Gatehouse Hotel was devastated by fire and the land lay derelict until the beginning of 2013.

But now developers McCarthy & Stone have completed their work on 36 apartments - a third of which have already been either reserved or occupied, including a penthouse property with a price tag of nearly half a million pounds.

Many have panoramic views over Tenby’s North beach, harbour and Carmarthen Bay.

The building has been named Paxton Court after Sir William Paxton, who was a leading figure in the revival of Tenby into a fashionable resort in the early 19th century.Its design reflects the style of the Royal Gatehouse Hotel and it is part of a multi-million pound scheme for the site and its surrounding land, which includes an adjacent new 61-bedroomed Premier Inn hotel and restaurant.

Paxton Court was officially opened on Friday by the mayor of Tenby, Councillor Sue Lane, when joining in the celebrations were the development’s first residents - a former rector of Tenby, Canon John Harvey and his wife, Angela.-

“We’ve been living in Haverfordwest, but we wanted to down-size,” explained Canon Harvey, aged 84. “This came on the market and we bought a one-bedroomed flat within three days. We’re absolutely over the moon to be living here and the views are wonderful.”

The development, exclusively for the over 60s, features one and two-bedroomed apartments, with prices starting from £199,950.

The development includes a residents’ lounge, atrium and decked patio, guest suite, laundry room and a lift, with a camera entry system and 24-hour emergency call points. There is also a dedicated house manager, Jackie Lewis, who will oversee the running of the property and organise get-togethers for the residents.

The company’s pride in the Paxton Court was voiced by its regional sales and marketing director, Jacqui Meenan: “This really is the jewel in the crown for us in this area,” she said. “Everyone in the town has been so friendly and helpful and the reaction from people has been extremely favourable.”