A MUCH-needed £3.3m development of affordable housing has been unveiled in a small village.

The Green, in Nettlesworth, near Chester-le-Street comprises eight two-bedroom bungalows and 16 two-bedroom homes.

It is owned and managed by Cestria Community Housing, which has let the homes to its tenants.

The estate replaced 18 one-bedroom bungalows on the site, which were outdated.

The Green takes Cestria, part of the Isos Housing Group, past the landmark of having built 100 new homes.

The association hopes to have built 239 new properties by March 2017. It is working on a 58-unit specialist housing scheme for the over 55s in the centre of Chester-le-Street and 37 new homes on Vicarage Close and The Garth in Pelton.

Part of the funding for The Green was provided by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

One of its new tenants is 44-year-old Liz Hilland, a mother-of-two who since being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 1999 has raised thousands of pounds for the MS Trust.

She had to leave her previous home because she was struggling to climb the stairs.

“I’s just fantastic, I feel really lucky to get this bungalow, it’s making such a difference to my life,” Mrs Hilland said.

For Andrea Sinclair, another tenant, her new home marks a fresh start following the death of her son Paul two years ago aged 20 from sudden adult death syndrome.

She said: “It was a huge shock and obviously turned my life upside down. I feel like moving here is a new beginning.”

Cestria managing director Martin Warhurst said: “We know there is a real shortage of affordable housing in this area and so are delighted to be able to provide these much-needed, high-quality homes for local families.

“This is a very exciting time for Cestria in terms of new developments.”

Karen Anderson, area manager for the HCA, said: “These new homes are a real asset to the village and set out in which a way that they blend into their environment; the Agency is really keen to support the development of such good quality homes in more rural locations.”