MILLIONS of pounds have been given to housing associations in Darlington to improve properties throughout the town.

More than £4.2m from the national Housing Corporation has been divided between eight housing associations working in the borough.

The housing associations are also putting some of their own money into making improvements, meaning a total of £6,181,208 will be spent on properties in the town.

The biggest award has been given to the Hanover Housing Association, which is planning to build 42 new flats at Easthaven, off Yarm Road, for the elderly and disabled.

The Tees Valley Housing Association has been awarded £561,903 to build six homes for teenage mothers.

The supported lodgings will be built at the site of Gladstone Hall, in Gladstone Street, in Darlington.

On the same site, the housing association will build two houses, in addition to the six already in the area.

Three Rivers Housing Association has been awarded £1,036,000 to build a variety of properties in Smithfield Road, Darlington.

It plans to build 11 bungalows, a specially-adapted bungalow, five three-bedroom houses and three four-bedroom homes.

Meanwhile, Darlington Housing Association is hoping to buy and repair three properties in the town.

A house buying scheme is being set up by Three Rivers Housing Association which will give tenants money to help them buy a private property so the association's homes can be freed up for people in need.

The Jane Cameron and Salvation Army housing associations have both been awarded cash to make alterations to properties.

Commenting on the grants, Councilor Paul Baldwin said: "The amounts the town has been given are well in excess of last year's grants, and are the second highest award in the North-East.

"This money will all be spent to help the people of Darlington. The housing associations have asked for exactly the amount they needed and have been rewarded a huge amount.

"There must be some housing associations who have two or three times more houses than we have, but they have not received a penny because they did not put in such good bids.