New homes joy as tenants move into affordable bungalows in Northumberland
Nine affordable bungalows in a Northumberland community are now complete, and the new tenants have received their keys to move in.
The properties in New Hartley, near Seaton Delaval, are owned by Northumberland County Council and are being rented out at an affordable rate to local people in housing need.
The two-bedroomed bungalows at the newly named Colliery Court have been made available to residents who require accessible ground floor accommodation.
New tenants Carole and Mike are preparing to move into their new home.
Carole said: “My husband struggles with his mobility and I have osteoarthritis, so this new bungalow is going to transform our lives. We have been living in a terraced house, and the stairs were a big issue for us so we were thrilled to receive the call to say we had been accepted for the home.
"We've already met some of the neighbours who are lovely and we feel extremely fortunate to be able to move into this lovely council property."
The scheme was a partnership between Northumberland County Council which financed the building work and Advance Northumberland who own the land and led on the construction.
Northumberland County Council funded the £2.2m building work with support from £302,000 of the brownfield housing funds as part North East Mayor Kim McGuinness’ commitment to unlocking more social and affordable homes across the region.
She said: “We urgently need more social and affordable homes across the North East. These new accessible bungalows will help local people live independently, help us tackle the housing crisis and provide genuinely affordable homes in the communities where they are needed most.
“Through my Plan for Homes, we’re bringing derelict and underused sites back into use to create places where people can thrive as we deliver 15,000 social and affordable homes across the North East.”
Cllr Colin Horncastle, cabinet member with responsibility for Housing said: “Providing more quality, affordable homes across the county in areas of identified housing need, continues to be one of the county council’s top priorities.
"The New Hartley development forms part of the council’s wider Affordable Homes Programme. Between 2017 and the end of 2025, 2,044 affordable homes were successfully delivered across our county, both directly via NCC, via housing partners and larger developers.
"With planning permission granted for another 1,140, we are well on our way to exceeding 3,000 new affordable homes built in areas where there is an identified housing need.
Cllr Stephen Flower added: “There is a need for more social housing in the area and this small development has been very well received locally. It has breathed new life into a vacant site bringing quality, energy-efficient bungalows to our community."
Steven Harrison, CEO at Advance Northumberland said: “The bungalows have been thoughtfully designed to support independent living, featuring level-access entrances, spacious doorways and fully accessible wet rooms to meet the needs of wheelchair users.
"In addition, the homes incorporate energy-efficient air source heat pumps and enhanced thermal performance, helping residents benefit from lower energy bills while enjoying comfortable, sustainable living.”