SEVEN new homes at Sandford were given an official opening and a celebration cake was cut by local MP, Mel Stride, watched by county, district and parish councillors, the developers and an interested crowd.

This was because these were no ordinary homes. They were the first affordable homes to be built in Sandford since 1992, made possible by the generosity of four people known as the Gorwyn Sisters.

They gave the land beside Sandford Parish Hall for extra car parking for the hall, for the new homes and for a play area.

The new homes are part of Creedy View, a development of 19 homes of which 12 are open market properties of four bedroom detached, semi-detached and three bedroom link detached house.

The other seven are one, two and three bedroom affordable homes for local people or those with a local link.

The homes all include many ecologically sound features and energy-saving elements. All have Propane gas-fired central heating, thermal insulation and timber-framed double glazing.

All have a 10 year NHBC guarantee and have been built by Summerfield, a property company based at Taunton with Falcon Rural Housing Limited being the provider of the seven affordable homes for rent.

Mel Stride, MP for Central Devon, cut the Union Jack ribbon across the front door of one of the new homes, the one where Scott Webb and his partner Jaz live with their two children and two kittens.

Scott’s mum, Mrs Jill Webb, said that she and her husband, Neil, had been among the first people to live in the last affordable housing development at Sandford, the one made possible by the late Chris Munday, Church Parks, which opened 23 years ago.

Sandford Parish Council chairman, Mrs Shuana Waller, said Creedy View’s houses were genuinely attractive dwellings in a nice setting.