Tenants from Derwentside Homes were left speechless this morning after they were given a special tour of their new home for the first time.

All of the tenants and their families were invited to Haven House Sheltered Court in Plantation Street, Leadgate to view the new £2.1 million scheme which has been restructured from traditional outdated sheltered housing into state of the art, modern new apartments.

Earlier this year, the high quality sustainable scheme received all the plaudits after winning the Innovation Category in the Constructing Excellence Awards in the North East and attracted the attention of David Orr, the Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation in his recent visit to the region.

All 21 one and two bedroom apartments have fully fitted bathrooms, kitchens, upgraded communal washing/drying area, modern up to date wet rooms and new lounge furniture and carpets.  The scheme built by Southdale, which specialises in social and residential housing and public build projects, also benefits from increased security and CCTV door entry systems, attractive sensory gardens and double glazed windows.

New tenants Kenneth & Lillian Ball who are aged 81 and 72 respectively said, “We are really looking forward to moving into our new home – it is beyond our dreams.  We can’t put it into words how we felt and how it will change our lives living here.  It has far surpassed any expectations we had.”

Mr John Brannigan (84) who is one of the original tenants from Haven House is looking forward to moving into his new flat.  He said, “I am really impressed and cannot wait to move in.  I love the layout and I am looking forward to the company and security of living in the Court.”

Shelagh McGinn, Head of Housing Services at Derwentside Homes, said: “We are very proud of this project which will go a long way towards setting the standard for independent living in the region and regenerating living accommodation for older people.

“The old sheltered courts were built 40 years ago and weren’t suitable for the requirementsof tenants in the modern age.

“We have consulted tenants every step of the way and you can see from their faces today, they’re delighted with the look of the modern new apartments which reflect their different lifestyles and aspirations.” 

David Pye, Head of Development and Asset Management at Derwentside Homes, said: “The project team have been magnificent and I would like to congratulate them all.  From inception through to construction, all project team members have ‘bought into’ what was an innovative idea and developed it jointly to deliver the aspirations of our tenants.”

Paul Moore, managing director for Southdale, added: “The modern and convenient lifestyle design features offered by this superb development, demonstrates how the resident’s needs were considered at every stage of the build process. We continually strive to inject our experience, technical expertise and passion for innovation into every scheme we complete and this is no better illustrated than at Haven House.

“We would also like to welcome Kenneth and Lillian and all the other residents as they embark on their new life at Haven House.”

Tenants are expected to start moving into Haven House in August.