THE first residents have moved into the new council homes in a Winchester suburb.

Half the new residents at Symonds Close in Weeke are local people who want to stay in their community and others are down-sizing.

The 12-home, £1.8million city council scheme off Westman Road was designed by T2 Architects and is a mix of family homes and homes for tenants set around a communal green which was formally an old garage compound.

Snipping the ribbon, the Mayor of Winchester, Cllr Jane Rutter, said: “I am delighted to celebrate this lovely new mixed development of homes which, together with the significant improvements including a local play area, will make a great contribution to the local community.

“The council is committed to building homes for tenants that are of a very high standard and designed to be easily adapted for people with restricted mobility.

"The new homes are extremely economic to heat as they are designed with high levels of insulation and air tightness together with solar panels on the roofs.”

Cllr Caroline Horrill, city council portfolio holder for housing services, added: “These homes are part of the council’s ambitious programme to provide 300 new council homes. Providing affordable housing is a priority.

Following a consultation with local people, areas of open space in Weeke have been significantly improved including an outside gym at Dean Park and trim trail equipment at St. Matthews Field.

New council homes are allocated through Hampshire Home Choice.

The builders were F E Chase who started in April 2015 and completed on June 22.