RESIDENTS of a former pit village have moved into new homes following the completion of a £1.6m housing development.

Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association has built 20 two-bedroomed bungalows in Ushaw Moor, near Durham City.

The Eshwood View bungalows were built to replace one-bedroomed bungalows in Cochrane Terrace, which date back to 1911 and represent some of the oldest housing on the association's books.

They are now being demolished.

All the residents have now moved to the homes and the development was opened last week by Mayor of Durham Councillor John Lightley.

Eshwood View forms part of the Hunters Gate development, a large-scale redevelopment of Ushaw Moor by Durham Village Regeneration Company.

Association director John Humble said: "We see the Eshwood View project as contributing to the regeneration of the village, as well as providing far superior homes for our residents.

"This is only the second time we have demolished a street of houses and given residents the chance to transfer to newly-built homes on the same site.

"Cochrane Terrace didn't come up to modern-day housing standards, and, as an organisation, we need to move forwards when old stock ceases to be economic and fails to satisfy the changing expectations of our residents."

The bungalows were built by Haslam Homes, with work completed in December.

The old homes, which were opened by the owner of New Brancepeth Colliery, Sir Henry Cochrane, 13 years after Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association was established and were visited by Queen Mary, are being demolished to make way for housing for sale.