A HOUSING association has vowed to combat the soaring cost of property in Teesdale by building cheaper accommodation.

House prices in the area have continued to rise considerably in recent years, which has forced many local people to leave the dale in search of affordable homes.

The increase has been particularly difficult for young people in Teesdale looking for their first home.

But the Endeavour Housing Association says it is proposing to build more affordable housing in Teesdale to ease the situation.

The association has built five flats at Gloucester Place, in Barnard Castle, and is converting the former Hole in the Wall restaurant into accommodation.

The housing at Gloucester Place opened at the end of last year. It consists of 16 two-bedroom flats designed to cater for elderly people.

Other recent schemes included building eleven cottages in the town's Copeland Row, which were completed three years ago.

In addition, there are plans to develop housing on the site of a former pub and chemist's shop in Middleton-in-Teesdale.

Charlotte Howse, housing manager for the association, said: "In many rural areas, local people are facing tremendous problems in finding accommodation which they can afford, and we want to fill that gap.

"We constantly try to learn from our experiences, and the views of the residents on the standard of the building will help us continue to improve the developments of the future.