A SET of new social homes have been built ahead of schedule.

The first few families have been moved into the 34 homes in Spalding Close, Braintree, after work on regenerating the site was completed.

The development will be managed by Eastlight Community Homes and replaces 20 rented and 11 temporary properties which were deemed too old to maintain.

Residents living in the properties were given temporary accommodation to live while the new homes were being built.

An estimated £6.8m was spent on regenerating the site.

Eastlight's chief exec Emma Palmer said: "It’s a pleasure and a privilege to see residents so happy in their new homes.

“So many in our communities are living in poor quality or unaffordable homes, which is why we plan to build 3,800 genuinely affordable homes over the next five years.”

Eastlight is a newly merged housing association made up up Greenfields Community House and Colne Housing.

The association is currently building more than 600 homes across Essex and Suffolk, including Halstead, Saffron Walden and Boreham.