Councillor Paula Maines with Newcastle City Council ward councillors, staff and apprentices
The new homes are built on the site of former council garages on Nithdale Close in Walkergate. There are six two-bedroom properties on the development, all built to a high specification and fully accessible for people with mobility needs.
The bungalows are also equipped with a range of environmental measures, including insulation, air source heat pumps and solar panels, to ensure energy efficiency and sustainability.
The project has been delivered in-house by Newcastle City Council’s Construction Services, with 41 apprentices employed on the site.
The properties were advertised and allocated through the Newcastle Homes platform which advertises affordable housing available to rent from the council and Registered Social Landlords in Newcastle.
Councillor Paula Maines, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “The completion of these bungalows marks another milestone for Newcastle City Council as we work to ensure the housing in our city meets the needs of our residents.
“There is huge demand for modern, high quality and affordable housing and we have ambitious plans to make sure we provide this. By building homes like these for social rent, we’re doing all we can to help our residents combat the rising cost of living.
“These bungalows were carefully designed to provide much-needed level-access homes that will make a huge difference to the lives of the people who live in them while freeing up bigger homes for families to move into.
“I’m incredibly proud that this development has been built from start to finish by the council and it’s fantastic that so many apprentices were able to be involved. I’m delighted to see the first residents move in and I wish them all the best in their new homes.”
David and Brenda Scorer have recently moved into one of the bungalows. David said: “Our last home had four bedrooms and had become too big for us. It was a waste having two of us bouncing around in such a big house.
“The bungalow is brilliant and I can’t believe we’re lucky enough to move in. It’s bright and high spec and has modern environmental features like the air source heat pump which should make it so much easier for us to run. We’re really happy to move in.”
New residents Val and Joseph Good said: “We couldn’t manage the stairs in our old home anymore so we’re over the moon to move to this bungalow. It is so peaceful and lovely with a beautiful kitchen and bathroom. We can’t wait to get settled. It’s a dream come true.”
Residents David and Brenda Scorer