NEW residents have started moving into their homes in a North Yorkshire village at a housing association’s latest rural development.

Broadacres, with its developing partner Esh Construction, built the 12 new homes on land in the centre of Huby, as part of a £1.8 million investment.

The two and three-bedroom properties, which include eight rented homes and four shared ownership homes, are being allocated to people with a connection to Huby or the wider Hambleton area.

Broadacres’ chief executive, Gail Teasdale, said: “We are delighted to have completed work on our latest affordable rural housing development.

"Like our other schemes, they are providing much-needed homes for local people keen to remain in the areas where they grew up or work.

"It’s important that village communities like Huby remain sustainable for future generations and that’s why a development like this is so important."

The development forms part of Broadacres’ strategy to ensure rural communities remain affordable and sustainable for future generations.

Among the people settling at the new site near Easingwold are couple Chris Brain and Sarah Collinson - who have moved into their home with their nine-month-old daughter Isabella.

Chris, a truck driver, was brought up three miles from Huby in Stillington, said: "Broadacres told us to treat the home like it’s our own and that’s a massive deal - and we couldn’t be happier with the way things have worked out.”

Thirsk and Malton MP, Kevin Hollinrake, said it is "fantastic" to see people moving in.

"I hope to see more schemes such as this in the constituency and will be championing this in Parliament at every opportunity", Mr Hollindrake added.