Families have started moving into a new council housing development which replaced a former Bristol nursing home.
The new site in Broomhill consists of 13 properties, made up of 11 two-bed houses along with two one-bed flats.
The plot previously housed the former Broomhill nursing home until 2012 before providing residence for a handful of people under the property guardians scheme.
Used to offer low-cost, no-frills housing in derelict buildings, Bristol City Council was contacted on numerous occasions by residents complaining about the poor conditions in the building which was managed by Camelot.
However, many were upset and fiercely opposed to the authority’s plan to take back the building and convert it into social housing.
The dispute ended in a court case in December 2017 which came down in the council’s favour.
And now, two years later the 13 homes have been built and the first residents moved in last month.
Among them was Kamal Mohamed and his family. He said: “We moved in three weeks ago and it’s absolutely brilliant. I’m here with my wife and our two kids and we’re really enjoying it.
“We used to live in a very small flat with no garden so it wasn’t a lot of fun for the kids.
“Moving here and having a good sized garden is giving them a lot more exercise and it’s a relief for us.
“We’ve already met a few of the neighbours but we’re all still exploring. We’re really thankful to Bristol City Council.”
The homes are part of Bristol City Council’s New Build Programme, which seeks to turn brownfield sites into housing across the city.
The programme, which started in 2014, has seen over 145 properties built so far.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: “This is one of the best bits of my role - being up here with new houses and young families, knowing that lives are being transformed.
“There’s real joy here, as the parents talk about their children being able to go outdoors and play.
“There’s space here for local residents to come together and form the communities that are the building blocks of Bristol life.”
All the buildings are fitted with solar panels, which provide energy to each property and feed any excess back to the grid.
The council has said the rent is affordable and hope that the tenants will finally be able to put down roots and become part of a new community.
Cllr Paul Smith, cabinet member for housing, added: “It was a very poor situation here – we had a building that was run down, with people living in bad conditions.
“Now we have fantastic houses for those who need them the most.
“The kids here will grow up together and the families will build strong relationships.”
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