TV DETECTIVES have been honoured in a new £15m housing project in west Swindon.

The street names in the estate, off Mead Way, have been inspired by famous police characters after being built on the former Westlea police station, and include Dixon Way, Frost Close and Morse Gardens.

The complex, which comprises 70 homes, was officially handed over to the local community on Thursday.

A commemorative plaque was presented to mark the completion of the development, which was funded by a £5.1m grant from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

The supported housing scheme includes 20 self-contained flats, 40 new homes for affordable rent, consisting of a mixture of flats and houses, and 10 houses for ‘intermediate rent’, which constitutes 80 per cent of market rent.

GreenSquare housing group has worked in close partnership with community regeneration specialist Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) to invest in the local economy and create new employment opportunities for local people.

The project has been instrumental in establishing four apprenticeship schemes for local candidates.

David Ashmore, GreenSquare chief executive, said: “It’s brilliant to see this scheme completed and to hear from residents how happy they are with their new homes.

“The many people who have worked so hard to deliver this high quality development can be justifiably proud of the result.”

The environmentally-friendly scheme has been built to meet Level 4 under the Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes and features 387 solar photovoltaic panels to generate electricity and a ‘feed-in tariff’ to help reduce residents’ household bills.

The supported accommodation unit has been built using timber frames and the entire development will contain eco measures.

These include click taps, which increase water flow by raising the operating lever, enhanced insulation and ultra-efficient boilers.

Paul Senior, contracts director for FHM, said: “We are thrilled to celebrate the opening with Green-Square. The development will have a positive impact in the local area and we are confident we have left a lasting legacy of the partnership in Swindon.”