A £1.2m development of affordable housing in Darlington has welcomed its first residents.

The 12 houses on Haughton Road, built by the Vela Group, were officially opened by Darlington MP Jenny Chapman last week.

The Haughton Road development is the first to be completed within Darlington by the Vela Group, which has a number of other projects ongoing in the town, including a scheme at Buxton Moor Crescent.

One of the properties has been built to meet wheelchair mobility standards and is now home to the Farey family, whose daughter Eve, seven, is a wheelchair user.

Matthew Farey, 32, his wife Catherine and daughters Olivia, three, and Eve received the keys last week.

Mr Farey said: “We are incredibly happy with our new home. We have really struggled in the past to live in a home which was not suitable for our daughter’s needs.

“We are so thankful to Vela for providing us with a home which has been specifically adapted for wheelchair use, it really is the perfect family home and will give us a much better quality of life.”

Mrs Chapman added: “The huge investment at Haughton Road has addressed the delivery of affordable housing within an area of Darlington where there is an acute need.

“Vela’s long term commitment to regenerating communities will make a real difference to how local residents feel about where they live and work and demonstrates great promise for future developments to come.”

For more details about Vela properties in Darlington visit velagroup.co.uk