New homes are praised

Celebrations... Pictured (left to right) are Councillor Barbara Beeley, Peter McGrail, director of Bullock Construction, Councillor Val Sedgwick, resident Freda Ogden (87), manager Rebecca Cricket, Councillor Jackie Stanton, Kath Miller, operations manager for Housing 21, and Mark Reynolds, service director for housing at Oldham Council

CELEBRATIONS were in order for tenants living in the new Lees House after it was officially opened yesterday.

The new 14-flat sheltered housing complex in Further Hey Close, Lees, replaced the old Lees House, which has been demolished.

Councillor Jackie Stanton, deputy leader of Oldham Council, officially opened the new building and tenants joined in, tucking into a celebration cake.

The building of Lees House is part of the PFI contract between Oldham Council, Housing 21 and Bullock Construction to provide more than 1,400 sheltered flats across the borough.

The new accommodation includes fitted kitchens, bathrooms with walk-in showers, modern heating, lifts, wheelchair access, door-entry and warden-call systems and security features.

There are also communal areas, including a lounge, kitchen, conservatory, and laundry.

The tenants moved out of Lees House into temporary accommodation in the autumn of 2006 and moved in to their new flats in April.

Councillor Stanton said: “The flats will provide residents with the opportunity to live independently and overall improve their quality of life.”

Kath Miller, operations manager for Housing 21 in Oldham, said: “Lees House is an excellent example of what excellent improvements you can make to people’s lives when you replace old buildings with new purpose-built flats like these.”