By Sue Crawford

Last updated at 10:05, Friday, 09 November 2012

A scheme to provide homes for young families on a Carlisle estate will breathe new life into a former church hall.

The £1.4 million project in the old St Elizabeth’s Church Hall in Harraby will provide affordable housing for those in greatest need.

The hall in Mayfield Avenue is being demolished to make way for 11 new homes.

Jessica Riddle, city council portfolio holder with responsbility for young people, said: “We’re delighted that work is underway on this fantastic new housing development in Harraby.

“The scheme provides much-needed affordable housing for local residents, and the provision of homes suited to young families is great news for the community of Harraby.”

The Two Castles Housing Association development is being built in partnership with developers Cubby Construction.

Part-funded by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) with support from Carlisle City Council and St Elizabeth’s Church, the energy efficient scheme will include nine three-bedroom and two four-bedroom properties.

Rob Brittain, property services director at Two Castles Housing Association, said: “We’re delighted that construction work is underway on what will be an important new affordable housing development in Harraby.

“There continues to be a real need for quality housing to rent across Carlisle and at Two Castles, we’re committed to working with our partners for delivering a range of relevant high quality affordable homes that meet the needs of local people and their families.

“We hope that this scheme will not only benefit those in the greatest housing need, but will also help to transform a former under-used site and bring it back into community life.”

The development, which is expected to be completed by July 2013, will also include a range of energy-efficient features such as photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight into electricity, which will help to make each individual home even more affordable by reducing overall energy bills for tenants.

Paul Atkinson, who is project manager at Cubby Construction, said: “We’re once again delighted to be partnering Two Castles on what will be an important affordable housing development in Harraby.”

First published at 10:04, Friday, 09 November 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk