CRICKLADE residents cut the ribbon to mark the end of the first phase of an ambitious housing redevelopment project on Thursday.

They had been given the keys to their new homes at Culverhay just before Christmas and, after having a few weeks to settle in, joined contractors and developers to mark the official completion of phase one.

Pat Pollard, 80, has lived in Cricklade since 1974.

She said: "I was a bit nervous at first, but as soon as I stepped inside, I was fine.

"These bungalows are really nice and all the neighbours I've known for years have moved into these new homes together."

Robin Mansfield, 76, and his wife Diana, 74, moved into their new bungalow with guide dog Katie after living in Cricklade for 19 years.

Robin said: “It’s a great deal warmer, it’s more open plan and there are no steps, which helps my wife, who is blind, and Katie has adapted to it very well.”

Work began on the site in May 2017, when contractors E G Carter & Co Ltd, demolished four houses and began building five new bungalows and three houses.

Residents were moved out of their existing homes and given temporary accommodation until their new homes in the regenerated estate were ready.

Phase two of the project will see six bungalows along Bath Road demolished to make way for the construction of five bungalows and nine houses.

Green Square is overseeing the five-phase project.

Robin Bailey, chair of GreenSquare’s board, said: “We are really excited that we’re going to house more people in better properties in a really lovely site.

“This is what Green Square is all about -we don’t just build and go away, we build and stay and become part of the community.”

The project includes plans to demolish 65 older properties in total and replace them with 109 new energy-efficient homes that will be a mixture of shared ownership, affordable rent and outright sale.