Dale & Valley Homes opens new homes in Crook

Published by Frances Griss for Dale & Valley Homes in Housing and also in Communities, Health

Seventeen families are now reaping the rewards of new council homes which generate their own electricity.

The homes, atGreenside Placein Crook, have been built by Durham County Council to be lifetime homes, able to adapt to people’s changing physical needs.

All 17 properties can accommodate a wheelchair if necessary and two a specially adapted with specialist equipment for the disabled.

Coun. Clive Robson, cabinet member for housing, said: " This is, to my mind, a potentially award winning scheme in terms of design and quality. I am delighted that working in partnership, we have been able to seize the moment and the opportunity to address the need for properties like this and to site them so conveniently close to essential services inCrookTowncentre.”

To celebrate the end of the building project and the start of a new community Dale & Valley Homes, the company which manages council homes inWearValley, presented all the householders with hanging baskets to make them feel more at home.

Colin Stockwell, chairman of Dale & Valley Homes, added: “These are the first new properties the company has been involved with. We have managed the building process, worked closely with residents to help them cope with the disruption and now we are helping new tenants settle in.

“It is exciting and rewarding to be involved with building new council homes which rival the private sector in their standard and desirability.”

Money for the £2 million scheme came from Durham County Council and the Home and Communities Agency.

Ali Johnson, area manager for the HCA, said: “It is great to see the impact that our investment has made. These 17 social homes will make a real difference to the local community by providing people with much needed choice in local housing.”

Construction work on the project was by Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East.

FHM Operations Manager Jonathan Horner said : “FHM was delighted to work alongside Durham County Council and Dale & Valley Homes during this exciting new development.

“FHM is proud of its reputation of delivering high quality, energy efficient homes and these 17 new properties are no exception.

“Environmental features such as solar panels mean these homes are not only more environmentally friendly but also cheaper to run, which is great news for the new tenants.”

All the partners in this project are also working on new apartments for the over 60s at Park Avenue Close in Crook. Phase one of that a £5 million project is due to be completed before the end of the year.