A MUCH-needed £1.5 million housing scheme, which is contributing to the improvement of Droitwich's largest estate, has been completed.

Spa Housing Association, which owns around half of the 1,300 properties on the Westlands estate, has finished work on the latest phase of refurbishment, in Meadow Walk.

The association has already spent more than £5 million on renovation across the estate and has now built a development of 25 new high quality homes for rent.

A range of new two and three-bedroom properties have replaced three-storey houses, which had become outdated and were demolished, and a further eight new apartments have also been built on adjacent land.

Spa Housing Association's executive director, Clare Huyton, said: "We have a major commitment to the regeneration of Westlands and this latest housing project is part of this programme."

Clare added: "Our drive to cut down on anti-social behaviour is having a positive impact on the area and, as well as building new homes, we are operating a range of other management measures."

The housing association's other initiatives on Westlands include investing in the neighbourhood office, which has been improved to provide better facilities for tenants, staff and a full-time neighbourhood warden, who Spa Housing Association partially funds.

The new properties in Meadow Walk were funded by the Housing Corporation and Spa Housing Association's own funds.

Some of the properties have already been let out to tenants but there is still one more phase of development to be completed.