Home sweet home

HAPPY HOME... Eric & Dorothy Davies admire their refurbished home

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MORE family homes in Derker have been given a smart new look thanks to the Housing Market Renewal team.

A total of 54 properties on Mayfield Road, Stoneleigh Street and Wales Street are the latest homes to benefit.

And Mayfield Road residents Eric and Dorothy Davies are over the moon with their new-look home.

They have lived in their two-bedroom home for almost 40 years and Eric, who worked in the building trade, said: “It’s a first-class job.

“They have cleaned all the brickwork, rebuilt walls at the front and back and put in new gutters and downpipes.”

“We will have new gates and railings too,” added Dorothy.

Work carried out at Lorraine White’s house has made a huge difference to the life of her partner, Terrance Mattocks.

He uses a wheelchair, and now has a ramp into the house.

Lorraine said: “It really has changed his life. The workmen have been fantastic. They went out of their way to make sure we could get in and out during the work. They were an absolute credit.”

Another happy resident, Graham Smith, moved with his family to Stoneleigh Street from a property on Acre Lane, which will be demolished to make way for new houses.

He said: “I’d been hanging on at Acre Lane, but a friend was selling this house so we moved here. We’re so pleased that we did.”

PLP Construction is working with Oldham council to carry out the work.

This latest phase involves improving both terraced properties and some 1930’s semis, while new garden walls have improved the look of the streets.

Councillor Jackie Stanton said: “The refurbishment work is making a tremendous difference to how the area looks, and I would like to thank residents for their patience.”

More than 250 homes across Derker have now been smartened up under the four-year £90 million Pathfinder scheme

Further work is planned for the coming year to improve more homes across the neighbourhood.