A FORMER miner cut the first turf for a social housing development on an ex-colliery site yesterday.

Councillor Alan Fenwick, the chairman of Durham County Council, signalled the start of construction work on the Vane Tempest site, in Seaham.

Earlier this year, Durham County Council, Hanover Housing Association and MJ Gleeson Group Plc signed a contract to turn it into a 45-unit extraCare scheme for the elderly.

Each flat on the development, one of six being built in the area, will have a kitchen and bathroom, and will be built to full mobility standards.

All the flats will be linked to a 24-hour alarm system, and there will be a communal lounge and an on-site shops.

It is hoped that other older people living nearby will make use of the facilities.

Teresa Snaith, the service development manager for Hanover Housing Association, said: "extraCare provides the opportunity for people to live independently while receiving a level of care appropriate to meet their needs.

"This level of care is flexible and can be adapted to meet any changes in the care required without the need for a resident to move.

"In some cases, a move to extraCare can result in those needs decreasing as residents are encouraged and helped to live as independently as possible."

It is hoped the development will be finished early next year.