Work to transform a former hospital and Victorian workhouse in Sudbury into luxury apartments is progressing rapidly with the first new homes at the site expected to go on the market next month.

Developer PJ Livesey has released this dramatic aerial shot showing the scale of the former Walnuttree Hospital site and the progress being made to bring it back into use.

The historic building is being converted into 35 new homes - a mix of apartments and houses.

Specialist teams have been working on site all year and the first properties will be launched for sale in September.

Company director Georgina Livesey said: “Seeing the building from the air gives a wonderful view of its scale and symmetry and its location within the town.

“Converting a wonderful building like this is often a journey of discovery as we uncover lots of unexpected features but our teams are very experienced and the conversion work has gone well and is on schedule.”

She added: “There has been a huge amount of interest in the development with people registering a year ago to be kept up to date with information and we hope to do some preview tours in August with the public launch in September.”

As well as the conversion properties there will be 10 new three and four bedroom homes fronting onto the town’s famous commonlands - or water meadows as they are widely known.

Prices for the properties have not yet been released.

Together the new development will be known as St Gregory’s Place - a name that has not been welcomed by everyone in the town.

Lorna Hoey, chairman of the Sudbury Society said: “What a boring, bland, uninspired name based on the church next-door and a street nearby.

“It says nothing about the history of the site which goes back to the 13th century involving Simon Theobald, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Archbishop of Canterbury, who was beheaded during the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 and whose head is now in St Gregory’s Church.

“Nor of Alan Phillips, one of the founders of the NHS which transformed what had been the workhouse into Walnuttree Hospital in the late 1940s of which many Sudbury people have fond memories.”