The houses are being constructed at Brent Road on land which included unused garages. Two semi-detached two-bedroom houses will be sold on a shared-ownership basis with the remaining five two-bedroom bungalows to be offered for rent to local people over 55 years of age.

The £800,000 development provides retirement homes for older Penrith residents and an opportunity for younger people to get on to the property ladder.

Built on the edge of woodland, the engineers and contractors have bolstered the banks of the wood with sheet piling to prevent any potential slippage.

It is hoped the work will be completed in time for new residents to move in before Christmas.

The shared ownership opportunities mean prospective buyers can buy between 25-80 per cent of the two-bedroom houses, with the option for outright ownership in the future.

The bungalows have been designed for retirement living and all have a wet room, private garden and drive..

Rebecca Field, development manager at Eden Housing Association, said “This is an exciting development in the heart of Penrith where we are working closely with the community and our contractors, Ashcroft Construction Cumbria Ltd, to minimise any disruption.

"We’re currently at the foundation stage and there is already growing interest in the new homes which will look modern but also in keeping with the area.

“We have a number of small development projects in the pipeline across Eden and we are also working with larger housing developers to provide the affordable home allocations on their sites.”

The next building project to be progressed by Eden Housing Association is a development of three, one-bedroom bungalows at Sim Court on the Pategill estate in Penrith. Work begins in the summer to increase the Sim Court supported housing scheme to 22 homes.

For details of housing developments at Eden Housing Association, phone 01768 861400 or visit www.edenha.org.uk .