A HOUSING regeneration scheme has finally been completed - eight years after it was first planned.

A total of 110 environmentally friendly homes have been built as part of a £30m project at Nursery Gardens in the Parkfield area of Stockton, close to the town centre.

The first phase of the Nursery Gardens estate, just off Spring Street, was completed in 2007 when 115 homes were built on the demolished Hind Street site, but the project, along with others around Stockton town centre, stalled as a result of central Government cut backs.

Nearly 300 homes in the Parkfield and Mill House areas of Stockton were demolished between 2011 and 2013 and there are other town centre redevelopment schemes, including around Dovecot Street, Hartington Road and St Bernard's Road still in the pipeline.

The Nursery Gardens development is part of a partnership between Stockton Borough Council, Dunelm Homes, the Homes and Communities Agency and Tees Valley Housing, a housing association which is part of the Thirteen Group.

The new dwellings include houses, bungalows and apartments and include affordable rent and shared ownership options.

A celebration day was held at which residents were invited to come along to meet with representatives of the organisations who worked on the project and see a display showcasing the history of the area.

Mayor of Stockton Ian Dalgarno, said: "This area has been truly transformed and now offers a mix of good quality homes, just a short distance from the Town Centre. Nursery Gardens is the first of our regeneration-led schemes to formally complete and it is an excellent example of what can be achieved.”

Councillor Mike Smith, Stockton Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Housing, said: “Creating clean, green and safe communities across Stockton Borough is at the heart of our regeneration schemes. Nursery Gardens shows what we are striving to achieve – different types of homes suiting a range of budgets.”

Martin Hawthorne, Director of Development and Regeneration at Thirteen Group, said: “This is an invaluable regeneration scheme that has created a new neighbourhood at the heart of Stockton. We are proud to be part of this project, which demonstrates what can be achieved through an effective partnership between organisations that share the same goal of creating new homes and improving communities.”

Money for the various schemes has come from both central Government and the council and it was originally hoped that £60m would be invested. However much of the demolition work stalled in 2011 due to Government cut backs until £1.52m of extra money was eventually granted by the Government.

To find out more about the regeneration schemes log on to stockton.gov.uk/environmentandhousing