Portsmouth schoolchildren and residents celebrate completion of £4.4m council home development in Hilsea

Schoolchildren and community members came together in honour of the 17 new properties on the corner of Doyle Avenue and Northern Parade, Hilsea, earlier this month.

Children from nearby Kings Academy in Northern Parade aided the celebrations, providing steel pan music; and social enterprise MAKE, which supports adults with learning disabilities, worked with the pupils on making decorations for the new homes, including windchimes.

Lord Mayor at the time Frank Jonas also attended the event with former Lady Mayoress Joy Maddox.

Mr Jonas, who stepped down from the role on May 17, said: ‘It's really special that we've watched this grow from a disused empty space, into this brilliant complex of council houses.

‘The people who are moving into them are in for a lovely surprise.’

The houses and flats in Doyle Avenue are the most energy-efficient to have been built by the council and include three houses designed for people with disabilities.