兔子先生

New tenants are settling in to the first council homes to be built in South Tyneside for a decade.

Residents have been given the keys to six newly-constructed houses at Henderson Road, South Shields.

The two-bedroomed properties are the first in a programme of 250 new homes for rent that the council will deliver over the next five years.

Kate Thompson, 38, who has just moved into one of the houses with daughter Jessica, said: "We absolutely love it, there are boxes everywhere still but it's already feeling like home. It's great to have a garden.

"I think it's really important that there's good quality council houses available. I was previously renting from a private landlord, but they decided to sell the property and I didn't have the finances to go private again."

The homes are being built through the Housing Revenue Account, following changes to the cap on council borrowing limits and grant funding provided by Homes England.

South Tyneside Homes is carrying out the construction works and managing the developments on behalf of the council.

Cllr Jim Foreman, Lead Member for Housing and Transport, said: "These are the first houses to be built by the council in more than a decade and it's fantastic to see residents moving in.

"It's important that there is modern, affordable housing for people to rent in the borough and I think anyone would be proud to call one of these properties home.

"Housing really can change people's quality of life, which is why we're committed to developing the kind of homes that our local communities want and need and to delivering on our key priority of investing in the built environment."

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