The Duffie family opened their doors to guests on Friday to celebrate the completion of The Sandgalls in Brandon. The 13 new homes have been built to address the shortage of affordable housing in the town, and members of Forest Heath District Council and the town council were in attendance to mark the occasion.

The Duffie family opened their doors to guests on Friday to celebrate the completion of The Sandgalls in Brandon.

The 13 new homes have been built to address the shortage of affordable housing in the town, and members of Forest Heath District Council and the town council were in attendance to mark the occasion.

Developed by Flagship Housing Group on behalf of Kings' Forest Housing, the �1.5 million scheme has attracted funding of �260,000 from Forest Heath District Council and �375,000 from the Housing Corporation (now known as Homes & Communities Agency HCA).

The Sandgalls comprises a mix of three two-bedroom houses, two three-bedroom houses, one four-bedroom house, two one-bedroom bungalows, one two-bedroom bungalow, two one-bedroom flats and two two-bedroom flats, with eight for affordable rent and five for shared ownership.

Built by Lovell Partnerships Ltd, these homes have been built in the heart of the community, close to shops and amenities.

Jenny and Don Duffie have three teenage children, so having four separate bedrooms has improved family life no end and has given each family member privacy and independence when needed. Their two sons have autism and Mrs Duffie said: “It's not just about dealing with physical disability, it's about having space, quiet and security. Both boys have benefited enormously.”

She added: “Before we moved in we were living in a house where one our sons was having to sleep in one half of the lounge. So living in a four-bedroom house is too good to be true, it's made a real difference to our lives.”

Special moving-in gifts were also given to the tenants, including energy saving kettles, automatic 'power down' plug sockets and wireless electricity monitors to help tenants measure how much money they are spending on their electricity bills.

Guest of honour, Rona Burt, district council chairman and Kings' Forest Housing board member, said: “These properties have been built to a very high standard with ample parking and sympathetic landscaping. We wish all residents of The Sandgalls every happiness in their new homes.”