Pictured: The last tile being laid by (L-R) Councillor Linda Bigham, John Hannon from Cassidy and Jephson's Programme Manager Jo Welch

A roof 'topping off' ceremony was held on August 23rd, at a Coventry housing development where 70 new homes are being built as part of a major regeneration of the city.

The final roofing tiles were laid on top of one of the houses in the new Windmill Meadows estate which is being built for Jephson Homes Housing Association, during yesterday's event marking the completion of a key stage in the construction.

When finished in March next year the development next to Longford Park, off Windmill Road, will re-house families that are set to move away from the nearby Wood End estate through the Coventry New Deal for Communities (NDC) regeneration project.

The houses are being developed for Jephson by Cassidy Group with the support of Coventry City Council. Representatives from the project partners and local councilors gathered at the site for yesterday's celebration event.

Jephson's Programme Manager, Jo Welch said: "The homes are being specifically built to re-house the people who will moving away from Wood End next year.

"The building work is really moving at pace and is currently ahead of schedule. It's a great example of partnership working in action and will deliver a fantastic new living environment."

The funding has in part been provided by the Government's Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the land value paid to the City Council will directly benefit the NDC programme.

Since work began at the start of the year the former post war landfill site has been remediated and cleaned; the river Sowe, which runs through the middle of the site, has been cleared and reshaped with the assistance of the Environmental Agency providing guidance on natural habitat.

The new properties will be built to Code for Sustainable Homes level 3 with a mixture of family houses, disabled and general use apartments and maisonettes.