A HOUSING association’s development in Darlington, which included the restoration of a listed railway building from 1844, has won a prestigious award.

The Railway Housing Association’s development off Haughton Road – known as The Sidings - won the title of Best Housing Development at the recent Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Northern Housing awards.

The 73-home affordable housing scheme, which was officially opened in the summer, consists of two and three-bedroom houses, two-bedroom bungalows and one-bedroom apartments.

The centrepiece is a listed railway engine shed which was sympathetically converted into seven mews-type homes.

The Northern Echo:

Anne Rowlands and Andrea Abbott, Director of Customer Services at Railway Housing Association, receive their CIH award from Chris Dabble, Partner at Devonshire’s Law Firm (the awards sponsors)

Judges at the CIH awards praised the way the association had incorporated the engine shed into the overall design and for how the development met the needs of a wider cross section of the community

Anne Rowlands, chief executive of the association, said: “The CIH Northern Housing Awards are a pinnacle in the sector, so we’re delighted that our scheme has been named the best in the north of England.

“2019 is the 100th year of Railway Housing Association, so we couldn’t think of a better way to end our centenary year than by winning an award for a scheme so closely linked to our railway heritage.”

The conversion of the engine shed alongside the east coast mainline has also been shortlisted by the National Railway Heritage Awards and the Association will discover whether it has won a second accolade when the ceremony takes place in London on Wednesday, at which The Princess Royal is making the presentations.

In addition, an exhibition on 100-years of Railway Housing Association, which was due to run at Darlington’s Head of Steam Museum until November 30, has now been extended for the rest of December.